Polish court's ruling: A sikh vs. airport security checks

[Martinus]

A religious sikh sued the Warsaw airport security guard for asking him to take his headgear off for routine security checks (Polish rules require everyone to take off their hat/headgear). When he refused, they refused to let him on the plane.

He lost.

I agree with the ruling but I was wondering if someone would defend his side of this.

[DGuller]

What if a Muslim guy refuses to take off his suicide belt, because his religion requires him to wear it?  Should we allow him to get on the plane?

[Valmy]

The deal with Sikhism and turbans is a little difficult to understand.  But frankly I find both Sikhism and Hinduism very hard to comprehend religions in general.

They are an important symbol but it is not like Sikh's never take their turbans off.  They do when in mourning or when they sleep correct?  So why every once in a while you will see a story of a Sikh who will not take it off even temporarily for some practical purpose confuses me.  There is no religious requirement to wear it 24/7 correct?

[Jacob]

As I understand it, for baptized Sikhs the hair is considered very intimate and private, so asking a devout Sikh to take his turban off is roughly in the same ballpark as asking you to strip down to your underwear.

[Barrister]

A religious sikh sued the Warsaw airport security guard for asking him to take his headgear off for routine security checks (Polish rules require everyone to take off their hat/headgear). When he refused, they refused to let him on the plane.

He lost.

I agree with the ruling but I was wondering if someone would defend his side of this.

The sikh turban is an important part of the sikh religion.  It's not optional, or cultural - an observant sikh must wear a turban.

I've always said that reasonable accomodations must be made for religious observations.  In this case the individual has already gone through the metal detector.  Unless there is some reason to require further investigation I see no need to deny this man access to his flight because it is policy to make people remove their headwear.

[Jacob]

Yeah, pretty much what BB said.

[Valmy]

The sikh turban is an important part of the sikh religion.  It's not optional, or cultural - an observant sikh must wear a turban.

It is optional for women though I think.

I also do not think it is quite as cut and dry as that.  The turban is part of the '5 K's' they are required to do but it is not like they believe if you take the Turban off for a few seconds you have failed as a Sikh or something.  They take them off to bathe for example.

[fhdz]

They take them off to bathe for example.

I take my clothes off to bathe too, but I wouldn't want to do it in an airport unless there was a very serious reason for doing so.

[HVC]

i think,l but i might be wrong, that taking off the turban is against their religion, but showing thing their hair to starngers is. So at home to sleep, shower, etc while they're alone it's fine, it's the act of doing it in front of other that goes against their religion.

[Ed Anger]

He might have been smuggling out the Polish national treasure, the potato.

[Valmy]

i think,l but i might be wrong, that taking off the turban is against their religion, but showing thing their hair to starngers is. So at home to sleep, shower, etc while they're alone it's fine, it's the act of doing it in front of other that goes against their religion.

There are videos on Youtube of Sikh's demonstrating the ways to put on your turban.  That seems like showing your hair to strangers to me

As I said the matter is hard for me to get my head around, like so many parts of the Sikh religion.

[Valmy]

I take my clothes off to bathe too, but I wouldn't want to do it in an airport unless there was a very serious reason for doing so.

But you do not wear your clothes as an unbreakable, non-optional aspect of your religious faith.

[Barrister]

The sikh turban is an important part of the sikh religion.  It's not optional, or cultural - an observant sikh must wear a turban.

It is optional for women though I think.

I also do not think it is quite as cut and dry as that.  The turban is part of the '5 K's' they are required to do but it is not like they believe if you take the Turban off for a few seconds you have failed as a Sikh or something.  They take them off to bathe for example.

Well obviously they take them off at times.  But I believe that's only done in private.

As for youtube videos - well not all sikhs are as observant as others.  I've known sikhs who cut their hear and only wear turbans on special occasions.  But that doesn't mean it isn't part of the sikh religion - it means that they aren't very good sikhs.

Just because Malthus eats bacon doesn't mean that keeping kosher isn't important to the Jewish faith.  It just means Malthus isn't a very good jew. :p

[Grallon]

More religious claptrap creeping up in the public sphere where it doesn't belong. 

I applaud the Polish authorities' decision.




G.

[Barrister]

The tougher question for sikhs is when it comes to helmets.

Should a sikh motorcyclist be required to wear a safety helmet?  Should a sikh be refused employment on a job site that requires wearing a safety helmet?