Cadet suspended from RAF officer-training course for saying Islam is main threat to UK

From the Mail on Sunday

An RAF cadet has been suspended after he said Islam poses the greatest security threat to the UK while taking part in a training exercise.

He made the comment during a question-and-answer session in which he and other cadets were asked about dangers to British security.

It led to him being kicked off the officer-training course, pending an investigation.

The cadet was taking part in a 24-week Modular Initial Officers Training course at the training academy at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, just before Easter.

He and 50 other students were asked to give presentations, during which they answered questions about the biggest security threat to the UK.

Retired rear admiral Chris Parry last night accused the air force of shutting down the ‘critical thinking’ of new officers around controversial issues and said the cadet should be reinstated.

‘If I’d asked that question and got that answer I would have also asked the cadet to expand on his thinking and got some critical thinking going rather than suspend him,’ he said.

‘Clearly Islamic extremism is the issue and not Islam, (I’d disagree – there is only Islam but Mr Parry has to tread carefully)  but how are young people expected to develop critical thinking around these complex issues if they are shut down in this way? This is the fault of a system that is training its young people but not allowing them to express themselves and develop their thoughts.

 ‘If this cadet had answered “the far-Right” I doubt he would have been suspended.

‘We know that Islam is not a threat, rather it is extremist elements, and this appears to have been a missed opportunity to discuss that for fear of causing offence.’