After Citadel denies request to wear hijab, Muslim student will attend another military college

The young Muslim woman whose request to wear a hijab was denied by The Citadel will attend a private military college in Vermont instead.

Sana Hamze, a 17-year-old and aspiring Naval officer from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said she will join the Corps of Cadets at Norwich University after university officials approved her request for a religious accommodation to Norwich's uniform policy.

"I think for any institution, diversity strengthens it," Hamze said. "(The Citadel is) really limiting themselves in how strong they can be."

In a letter to alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff last week, Norwich President Richard W. Schneider said Hamze is permitted to wear a hijab covering her hair and neck at all times "in authorized colors and fabrics," and Norwich-issued long sleeve shirts and pants. Norwich also will amend the Corps of Cadets Standard Operating Procedures to allow cadets to observe the hijab and yarmulke, Schneider said.

"Our cadets come from all walks of life," Schneider said. "Regardless of their spiritual or religious affiliation, all students and employees should feel welcome and comfortable at Norwich University."

Hamze told The Post and Courier that she has aspired to join the military "for as long as (she) can remember." She grew up hearing stories about her great-grandmother, who served in the U.S. Air Force, and her grandparents, who met while they were stationed in Puerto Rico for the U.S. Navy.

"Being in the military, it doesn't matter where you come from, what social status you have," Hamze said. "You're all training the same and you're all working together for the same goal."

Her request to wear the hijab set off a social media firestorm in April when news broke that The Citadel was considering an exception to its famously strict dress code. Announcing The Citadel's decision to reject her request, President Lt. Gen. John Rosa said in a statement ^[1] that the school "has relied upon a highly effective educational model requiring all cadets to adopt a common uniform."

"She was hurt. I could tell," her father, Nezar Hamze, said. "She didn't bawl-out cry but she was teary-eyed."

Hamze said she was disappointed by The Citadel's decision. When Captain Geno Paluso, commandant of cadets, informed Hamze over the phone that her request had been rejected, Hamze told him it wasn't fair that she had to choose between practicing her faith and attending The Citadel.

Hamze's family, represented by an attorney at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is still considering legal action against the military college.

"We're still looking at our legal options," Nezar Hamze said. "However my number one priority is my daughter's education and having her be somewhere where she's accepted."

Reach Deanna Pan at 843-937-5764.