NEW YORK – An American Muslim policeman won the right to grow a beard on Wednesday, June 22, after New York police department stripped of his gun and badge.

“I am very relieved,” Masood Syed told CBS, after the ruling, as he celebrated his 32nd birthday.

The 32-year-old was forced to go through a legal batter after NYPD suspended him for 30 days for growing a beard.

Syed had been suspended from work and escorted from the department’s headquarters after it was deemed that his beard was more than 1mm in length and therefore breached regulations.

“It was extremely humiliating,” Syed said. “I felt insulted, frankly.”

Working in a diverse city, the bearded officer said he had worn a 1-inch beard for most of his 10-year career, and had only occasionally drawn critical comments.

Brooklyn patrol officer Rohail Kahlid, who has a beard about a half-an-inch long, said that enforcement of the rule could often be arbitrary.

“It becomes an issue on and off. It depends on who’s the boss,” he said,

The situation was reversed on Wednesday after a judge order the force to reinstate Syed and pay him any money or benefits that had been withheld.

US District Judge Kevin Castel criticized the city and issued a restraining order to allow Syed to work until another hearing on July 8.

Wearing a beard is a Sunnah in Islam.