CAIR, Council on American-Islamic Relations, has threatened to bring a lawsuit against The Citadel for its denial of its Muslim student wearing a hijab (headscarf) with the college’s military uniform.
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Lt. General John Rosa, Citadel President, rejected the request on the basis that the appearance of cadets is the same for all across the board regardless of religious requirements. Rosa said in his statement:
“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.”
He also noted that despite the request being rejected, all religious beliefs are respected at The Citadel and freshman cadets are free to meet with faith-based organizations in the community and are afforded transportation to and from places of worship as well as dietary and prayer requirements. Rosa added:
“The diversity of religions and cultural backgrounds represented in the Corps enriches the overall cadet experience and better prepares graduates to become principled leaders in all walks of life, underpinned by The Citadel’s core values of honor, duty and respect.”
A spokesman for the family of the Muslim student stated she is disappointed that her request was rejected to wear her hijab as part of the Citadel military uniform. A member of CAIR (CAIR is linked to the terror group Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood), Ibrahim Hooper, said he spoke to the family after Citadel officials denied the woman’s request to wear her hijab with the military uniform and noted that she will not attend classes this fall unless a uniform change is made to accommodate her. He also said that the family is considering legal options.
There is a reason why cadets are to adhere to a strict uniform code and its primary reason is to emphasize the importance that there are no ‘individuals’ in this environment only that there is a team. What this female wants is to set herself apart from other cadets by demanding she be afforded to wear her hijab, which means breaking the rules specifically for her despite the many other cadets who will be attending as freshman this fall or those who attended and graduated without incident over demanding a uniform change.
If this female cannot adhere to the guidelines of the proper wearing of The Citadel’s military uniform, then she clearly has no business being in The Citadel at all. She is a rogue element and definitely not a team player; something that this elite military college has a tradition of weeding out for the benefit of all who do abide by the guidelines without complaint. Break the rules for her and the discipline of the cadets will start to falter.
Will The Citadel budge and allow this female to wear her hijab or will the military college prevail and stand its ground? Sound off in the comments below!
