Article

2004-05-18 Europe

Sikh students to try hair gel in French schools

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Posted by Steve White 2004-05-18 12:57:06 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 It is a highly bad idea to tease or otherwise annoy Sikhs. Their religion can best be described as "the worship of the big Command Sergeant Major in the sky", as far as militarism goes.
They are so *good* at soldiering, as a group, that they run the Indian army. The British will tell you that they are damn effective in combat.
And, as a group, they are also very businesslike and middle class.
I just cringed when the US Army ordered them to shave their beards or get out. Even the few hundred in the ranks were inspirational, and every one left, rather than shave. What a loss.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-05-18 12:01:53 PM|| 2004-05-18 12:01:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Anonymoose - isn't it an Army requirement for all soldiers to remove beards (don't know about moostaches) because having them prevents the use of a gas mask (can't have an effective seal with it on)? Based on that, I doubt that Sikhs themselves were singled out, though I could be wrong.

Posted by Raj 2004-05-18 12:38:26 PM|| [http://angrycyclist.blogspot.com] 2004-05-18 12:38:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Raj - that was the rationale, however, Sikhs had worn beards and served with the Army for many years, long after gas was an issue. The change came with what I would call "The Ugly Man Program" in the Army: the systematic effort to eliminate everybody who didn't "look good" in a uniform. This included the smokers, the "overweight" and the 'unusuals'.
N.B.: the "fat man" program eliminated large numbers of very competant senior soldiers, something only a peacetime military would dare.

All-in-all, it was a military version of Political Correctness. Foolishness.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-05-18 6:08:39 PM|| 2004-05-18 6:08:39 PM|| Front Page Top

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