Centre supports IAF ban on Muslims with beard

The Centre has supported the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s decision to prohibit Muslim personnel from sporting beard. The government said the ban did not infringe upon the fundamental rights of people.

The government told the Supreme Court that the prohibition was imposed to maintain uniformity in the IAF and also for security reasons. “These policies are secular in character and have not been framed to infringe upon the freedom of Air Force personnel to practice any religion,” the Centre said in response to a notice issued by the apex court in September last year.

An IAF corporal, Mohammed Zubair, had challenged the IAF authorities “confidential order” issued on February 24 2003, prohibiting Muslim personnel from sporting beards. Zubair said the rule impinged on his fundamental right to follow his religion that makes beard mandatory. But, the government said its policy would not allow anyone in the armed forces to be different from his colleagues in the name of faith.

Seeking dismissal of the petition, the Centre said the ban would ensure that IAF personnel are known by their work and not religion. “The Air Force is a secular force where every religion is equal,” the Centre said, adding that the prohibition was imposed after comprehensive deliberations. Delhi high court had earlier rejected Zubair’s plea.

When asked by the court if the Quran made it compulsory for a Muslim to keep beard, Zubair’s counsel Rajeev Dhawan replied in the positive.