U.S. Army: Beard Exception For Muslims OK’d, Denied For Jews…
It’s almost like they Army is afraid of offending one religious group but not the other.
(Army Times) – A rabbi from Brooklyn, N.Y., is suing the Army over its “no-beard” policy, claiming the service violated his religious freedoms when it rejected him because he refuses to shave.
Menachem M. Stern’s lawsuit argues the Army is discriminating against him because it has waived the “no-beard” rule for several Sikhs and a Muslim, but not for him. Advocates hope the case, if successful, will pave the way for more bearded rabbis to become chaplains and minister to historically underserved Jewish soldiers.
“While they’re stalling me, they’re taking in other religions, for instance, Sikhs and Muslims with beards and turbans at the same time,” Stern said. “At that point, my question became, ‘Who says yes and who says no?’ It shows how in a great institution such as the Army, the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.”
In the suit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, Stern included his correspondence with the Army from 2009. In it, Stern informed the Army he would not shave. The Army nevertheless granted him a commission as a Reserve first lieutenant, and then it rescinded the offer the next day, citing an “administrative error” and the “no-beard” policy.
HT: Jawa
Posted by ZIP on Wednesday, January 5, 2011, at 4:20 pm | 
Tweet
To be honest I don’t think anyone should have a bread in the Military unless they are undercover… But to not take a person and allow others because they make a bigger stink is unfair and UnConstitutional.
If the Jews had spine, they’d get a good Jew lawyer and sue the crap out of the military for discrimination or something.
It’s over, people…..it’s all over, I tell ‘ya.
Our military has been infiltraed by the fucking rag-heads. All the way to the top.
The US Army…the New PC Police!!!!!
I agree with whthfk. No one should have a beard…the Army is not a Democracy. It’s the military. Having said that, I don’t agree with frivilous lawsuits but I say sue and I hope he wins!! Muslims are not a protected class with special previleges. Shall I sue because I’m handicapped but want to join the Army anyway? I think not.
Every one in the military that approved this, should all be canned. Why on earth are they making exceptions for people that want to JOIN an all volunteer organization. Either you want to join or you dont. here are the rules DEAL.
whthfk -
ITA on both points, especially the first. Since DADT went down in flames we have had the sacrificing of Navy Capt. Honors for something suspiciously ‘leaked’ just recently from years ago.
Now, I saw this on Instapundit late last night:
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20110104.aspx
The Fornication Lamp Is Lit
January 4, 2011: After nearly two decades of effort to ban sex in the combat zone, an American commander has admitted defeat and issued orders de-criminalizing fornication in Afghanistan. Thus the latest version of General Order No. 1 issued in Afghanistan warns against heterosexual sex between troops, but no longer prohibits it. [...]
There is no such thing as a “moderate muslim” – Just those who choose to remain silent until they can dance on the bodies of their enemies. That would be anybody that isn’t a moooooslim !
I don’t like the whole beard thing, but they shouldn’t make any exceptions. I don’t think it’s a good idea to let Muslims join the army. Remember Nidal Malik Hasan?
Much success in bearding the discriminatory lion in its den, dear rabbi.
As former military myself, I would offer that one has to “count the cost” (per the biblical counsel about buildings and battles) before volunteering to serve. The military is under no obligation to morph from a highly-disciplined fighting entity into a squishy, feel-good social experiment. It is not a democracy nor should it ever be.
I had no dilusions as to where a multitude of boundaries laid, nor should any other prospective service member. Even a Christian, I understood that there could be many areas wherein some of the freedoms I enjoyed in the civilian realm could not be accommodated within the structure of the military.
If total freedom to do and be whatever you want to be is your ultimate expression of your person — even regarding your faith — then you need to evaluate the extent to which your boundaries can mesh with those allowed in the confines of the military.
That said, in the context of the controversy, the rabbi is correct: the exemptions should either be granted to all or to none at all.
Now, how soon before we have nudists demanding their own military outfit?
Jew-haters in the U.S. military are a given. The Army brass knows that Jews
will not self-detonate or open up with automatic weapons fire on other troops.
With the muslims, they’re not taking any chances. Even crotch beards are ok.
So if Ahmed wants a goat, a lamb, or a male donkey (for bestiality/homo
muslims- DADT) for the night, no questions asked.
“One goat coming up!”
No to Muslims in our military. they are a danger. And oh yeah what about when they are in the same barracks as some light in the loafers queers.?
Oh this will be fun!!
But seriously I don’t trust them to be next to our guys with guns and grenades!!
Just think, with the beard their gas mask won’t seal….
It’s almost like…, hmm…, there are different rules and privileges for Leftists and their allies in this country.
Huh, just like in the USSR.
“Blue” hit it on the head. Shaving is life in an NBC environment.
Darwin will take care of the Pigslamics.
Maggie says:
January 5, 2011 at 4:38 pm
This isn’t new, this was actually changed back in early 2008 the first time I was in country.
Probably forming units of combined units of queers and muslims will be the answer.
There are people in the military that are not required to shave, i.e., personnel with skin conditions, infact they are medically barred from shaving or “grooming” their facial hair. Just wanted to point that out…
Of course it just gives more reason to look at this story as say WTF Over?
“To be honest I don’t think anyone should have a bread in the Military unless they are undercover… But to not take a person and allow others because they make a bigger stink is unfair and UnConstitutional.”
It’s not like he’s serving as an enlisted man on the front lines. The rabbi in question was trying to offer his services in ministering to soldiers of Jewish faith. He would have been acting as a rabbi, providing peace and comfort to Jews who serve.
As a military chaplain, the beard would not be hurting anyone nor hindering any operation. As I understand, it is a basic tenet of his faith. A blanket ban on beards on military chaplains will act to the detriment of soldiers of those faiths wishing to hold onto their beliefs as they serve.
That ultimately helps our military by providing a more welcoming and focused atmosphere for those of Jewish heritage.
With all the damage being done by Islamic jihad, our military needs to be welcoming to Jews who have common ground with the rest of Americans in standing up to Islamic terror.
the politically correct generals have came out of the closet
But will they permit crossdressing?
Hey, every guy in a uniform with a beard is a you-know-what. That’s as good as profiling.
The Army used to make exceptions or beards for people with a profile. Those who had skin problems, got a pass on the policy, so long as they got a doctor to OK the profile.
Turns out…damn near all of these individuals were black and Muslim. And this was in the 70′s and 80′s.
Sounds to me like this is just a redefinition of something that has been going on for 30 years now.
Without rigid discipline, the military turns into nothing more that an out of control college fraternity.
CW57 is right. It’s a volunteer military. You want to join, well, here are the rules.
Can you live by these rules?
Yes. OK, sign here.
No. Get the fuck out.
Huff said.
And blues comment is priceless. As a surveyor, that sometimes enters refineries, I have to be clean shaven. (mustache is ok if trimmed, no beard, and there are no exceptions!)
Huff said = Nuff said. Sorry.
Did you see this?
A couple went into a Syndy Australia KFC and wanted a bacon cheeseburger…wellllll it turns out because of Muslims they don’t have bacon…so when the customers film it a Muslim KFC worker GOES OFF on the customers!!!
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8192344/kfc-employee-screams-insults-at-customer
oops I mispelled Sydney, Australia.
The seething hate from the Muslim towards the non-Muslim couple is crazy.
It has hit youtube and might go viral;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io_HLVYN37s&feature=related
with explanation
A Muslim worker at a KFC restaurant in Sydney has been suspended after he was filmed screaming vicious insults and threatening to attack a customer.
The violent outburst happened at a Halal-friendly KFC in Punchbowl on December 26, allegedly after a customer became angry after being refused bacon on their burger.
The Punchbowl restaurant does not serve bacon or pork in accordance with Islamic law, and one employee can be heard saying “we don’t have bacon” before the other begins yelling.
“Don’t record me bitch!” he screams as he approaches the counter. “Don’t f—ing record me!”
The employee continues to yell and smacks the cash register display on its side, before other workers grab him and lead him outside.
“I’m gonna f—in break your head bro,” he says to the person filming as he is led around the corner out of sight.
“One BLT coming up, Ahmed!”
So the gay military is afraid of muslims, or maybe it is because they look so FABULOUS in those beards!
The US military and the US gov’t both suck. Buncha damned cowards.
WTF are muslims aloud in America’s military?
@Andrew,
Don’t worry about that; we already murdered all the grammar and spelling Nazis.
Their tortured screams still ring sweetly in my ears.
I don’t give a Flying Fuck if your are a Moonie. The Military should observe Separation of Church and State. The Military is not a Fashion Show on who is the most Religious.
Fuckem!
This clearly is discrimination, and the military will suffer for it. It’s not as if they’re overflowing with Chaplains — especially of the non-Protestant stripe. My husband had to go through an entire 10 month deployment without hearing Mass ONCE because they didn’t have a single Catholic chaplain around. They had dozens of Baptists, but no Catholics. Something tells me the number of Jewish chaplains is even smaller.
Well Jews don`t go apeshit pull out a pistol and start shooting. They may kick your ass in the parking lot. Freaking ragheads will go Bannana`s over the smallest thing, but are to chickenshit to fight like men and have to go get a pistol, So No , Hell No No special favors No Beards , No Goats in family Housing
This topic beats all. If beards are the case, then why not let soldiers grow their hair as long as they please. I personally am sick of all this Irab crap shoved down out American throats. Let them keep their beards and rags for their heads, but only over in the mid-east. What is an Irab or Jew doing in our armed forces in the 1st place. If you’re not white you’re not an American, and have no place in our armed forces. Why are we letting these intel creatures into our armed forces. To take information back to the enemy, you should know that. Go home to the sand and Israel.
Your name is Boudreau. That is French. Go back to France, why don’t you?
If 1 Muz can have a beard then anyone can have a beard.
If religion trumps the military and no religion should equally trump.
Be proud be a HomoMuz join the Military.
Heads need to roll.
BR, Dave
Let them have beards but use them for target practice. Fuck all muscums!
Sharia in action, folks: Moslems are superior to all non-Moslems under Sharia. NO TO SHARIA.
And if the military, sworn to protect the Constitution and the American people, isn’t up to telling Moslems that (“anything for a peaceful life” doesn’t quite sound like a military motto) then we need to speak up, individually and as a nation, far more forcefully against Islam and Moslems. We need to form a national organization specifically committed quite openly to the reclassification of Islam as a seditious Political Ideology not a Religion, with the specific aims of Islam’s Proscription, Permanent Stop to Moslem Immigration, and Deportation. You cannot just demand that Sharia alone has no place in America and its legal system because Sharia is integral to Islam and Islam’s goal of world domination, inequality and genocide of those who reject it means the whole concept of Islam is unacceptable.
Let them have their beards, that way we can tell who they are. And while we’re at it, all the gays should have to wear pink or rainbow patterns. Give them all the notoriety they’re looking for. That way we’ll know who they are and what they are.
really whats the big deal, the pro mask thing is BS, and besides who does it hurt it they have beards?