“If the request is granted, it would seem to be the first time the public military college in Charleston, South Carolina, has broken its tradition of mandating cadets wear uniforms at practically all times. The 174-year-old school hasn’t ever allowed a uniform deviation ‘to our knowledge,’ spokeswoman Kim Keelor told NBC News.”
Of course the first change would be in order to accommodate a Muslim student. The principle is always and everywhere the same: wherever Muslim customs and practices differ from non-Muslim customs and practices, non-Muslim customs and practices must give way. This never fails. Non-Muslims in the West increasingly take for granted that they must do this.
“Citadel Considering Uniform Exception for Muslim Student,” by Elizabeth Chuck and Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News, April 15, 2016 (thanks to Cecilia):
The Citadel is considering a request from an admitted student who is Muslim to wear a hijab — a notable exception to its uniform requirements.
If the request is granted, it would seem to be the first time the public military college in Charleston, South Carolina, has broken its tradition of mandating cadets wear uniforms at practically all times.
The 174-year-old school hasn’t ever allowed a uniform deviation “to our knowledge,” spokeswoman Kim Keelor told NBC News. “It’s an old school, though.”
Keelor would not say what factors are being weighed, and she would not provide any information on the student. A decision is expected in the next few weeks, she added.
The school doesn’t currently have any students who have a special religious accommodation for uniforms, according to Col. Brett Ashworth, vice president of communications and marketing.
In its religious accommodation policy, the Citadel says it “places a high value on the rights of cadets to observe tenets of their respective religious faiths.”
“The Citadel will approve requests for accommodation of religious practices unless accommodation will have an adverse impact on a competing institutional interest including, but not limited to, cohesion, morale, good order and discipline, cadet welfare, safety and/or health,” the policy states.
The Citadel’s stringent policies call for uniforms to be worn at all times, with two exceptions: Upper-class cadets can wear civilian clothes during the academic year when they’re departing on or returning from furlough, and all cadets can change out of their uniforms when they’re swimming at area beaches.
But even that is tightly regulated: “Cadets will change into appropriate swimwear upon arrival and change back into uniform when departing,” according to the rules….