RAF cadet suspended for saying Islam is ‘UK’s biggest security threat’ | UK | News
A Royal Air Force cadet has reportedly been suspended from duty for allegedly saying Islam was the biggest security threat to the UK. The student is said to have made the alleged comment during a question-and-answer session at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
According to reports, during the session, he and 50 other students were assigned to give presentations in which they had to answer questions about the biggest security threat facing the country. The student was reportedly expelled from the officer training course pending an investigation, which the RAF confirmed was ongoing. Retired Rear Admiral Chris Parry criticized the RAF’s approach and said the cadet should be allowed to return to training.
If he were leading the session, he said, he would ask the student to “expand his thinking and initiate critical thinking” rather than pushing him away.
To talk Daily MailBreaking the story, he said: “The problem is clearly not Islam but Islamic extremism, but how are young people expected to develop critical thinking about these complex issues if they are confined in this way?
“This is the mistake of a system that educates its young people but does not allow them to express themselves and develop their thoughts.
“Every mature educational institution should do just that.”
The retired senior officer also said he doubted the student would be suspended if he responded with a “right-wing extremist” response, adding that it “seemed like a missed opportunity to discuss this issue for fear of provoking an attack”.
RAF Cranwell is where the Air Force’s next generation of officers are trained.
According to the Mail, the suspended student was attending a 24-week Modular First Officer Training course just before Easter.
An RAF spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident of alleged inappropriate behavior involving a cadet at RAF Cranwell. The investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further.”
