Texas allows Sikh policemen to sport beards, turbans

Washington, Feb 7: In one of the biggest goodwill gestures to one of the largest communities in the US -- the Sikhs -- the state of Texas has allowed on-duty Sikh officers to sport essential Sikh religious symbols like beards and turbans. According to a Washington Post report Friday, the decision of the county sheriff of greater Houston fulfilled one of the long standing demands of the Sikhs and made the county's police force one of the first few in the nation -- along with those in Washington DC and Riverside, California -- to permit Sikhs to wear their “articles of faith” on patrol. “By making these religious accommodations, we will ensure that (our) office reflects the community we serve, one of the most culturally rich and diverse in America,” Sheriff Adrian Garcia said in a statement. “Deputies need to not only understand, respect and communicate with all segments of the population, but represent it as well,” he added. Sikh leaders in Houston and Washington welcomed the announcement, and the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) circulated Internet photos of Garcia shaking hands with Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, 37, who was wearing a blue police uniform, navy blue turban and a short beard.