South Carolina's military college, The Citadel, has announced that it will not bend to a request made by a Muslim enrollee to wear her hijab as it would go against the required uniform for cadets.
On Tuesday, school president Lieutenant General John Rosa said of the decision, "Uniformity is the cornerstone of this four-year leader development model."
The long-standing tradition at The Citadel has been for all cadets to wear specified uniforms with no exceptions. Even Christians are told not to wear crosses. But despite these traditions, the school said it gave the matter "considerable review." Current students and alumni also weighed in during the process, many stating their objections to allowing such a radical change to the standardized uniform essential to the school's objectives.
The unidentified student reportedly cried at being told no exception was made for her religious request. And the Council on American-Islamic Relations have stepped in to wipe away her tears. CAIR and the family are considering "all legal options."
CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper stated:
She was in tears this morning. She told the commandant that it was not fair for her to have to choose between her faith and attending The Citadel.
A complete denial was very shocking. The father said, "We live in a land of laws. These outdated traditions violate that law.”
Hooper also said the reason the girl was "so heartbroken" was because she had worked very hard to get into Citadel. And because of the resistance, she has decided not to attend.
"As far as legal action, all options are on the table," he added.
Hooper explained how committed CAIR is to issues like these:
Obviously from CAIR’s perspective, as a civil-rights organization, we’re not going to drop this issue. We’re going to view it as a continuation of the civil-rights struggles that allowed African Americans and women to have free entry and participation in these types of institutions nationwide.
There are Muslim women wearing hijab in our nation’s military… Whether it’s hijab or beards or turbans, to cling to these outdated "traditions" merely out of a sense of not wanting to change anything is, I think, untenable in this day and age and in our increasingly diverse society.
One recent graduate who has been especially vocal about this issue, Nick Pinelli, praised his alma mater for it's decision, saying:
I believe a thoughtful decision was made by the Board of Visitors, the Commandant of Cadets, and the President. The decision was made after the most careful consideration by all involved and with an immense amount of concern for both equality and reason.
The Citadel continues to create leaders who are sought after by employers across the state and nation, and this decision is one that focuses on both the importance of freedom, as well as the importance of the 174-year-strong system that has bettered thousands of lives and has created thousands of leaders in the public and private sectors.
Lt. Rosa concluded: "The standardization of cadets in apparel, overall appearance, actions and privileges is essential to the learning goals and objectives of the college. This process reflects an initial relinquishing of self during which cadets learn the value of teamwork to function as a single unit. Upon graduation, The Citadel’s graduates are prepared to enter a life committed to principled leadership in military service and civilian careers."
