Could it be that the Army fears offending Muslims but knows that Jews will not react with irrational violence to being denied their wishes? Naaah, couldn’t be…
“NYC rabbi sues Army over no-beard policy: Menachem M. Stern cites rule waiver for Sikhs, Muslim in lawsuit,” by Joe Gould in Army Times, January 2 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):
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.”…
Or maybe they know all too well.