Not enough evidence to expel cadet after Quran desecration: Canada’s Military

An officer cadet facing expulsion from the Canadian Forces for desecrating a Quran is being allowed to continue his studies at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Quebec, but another student is still fighting to remain in uniform.

 

An officer cadet facing expulsion from the Canadian Forces for desecrating a Quran is being allowed to continue his studies at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Quebec, but another student is still fighting to remain in uniform.

The two officer cadets are among three first-year students who were ordered expelled after defiling the Muslim holy book during a cottage party last spring.

One left the college and the military, but the other two appealed the decision.

According to CBC News, chief of military personnel Lt.-Gen. Charles Lamarre says after officials took a second look, they determined there wasn’t enough evidence to uphold the decision to expel one of the students.

He and five of the others who were at the cottage when the Quran was desecrated can stay at the military college but have been issued written warnings, ordered to take counselling and put on probation.

“They’re undergoing some pretty close scrutiny to ensure that the desired change to their behavior has occurred and continues to occur,” Lamarre said.

The student still appealing his release isn’t currently at the college, but Lamarre says military officials are reviewing the case and will make a decision on whether to expel him soon.

The Quran desecration occurred when a group of eight students from the Saint-Jean college headed out of town to a cottage during the Easter weekend. At one point, four went to sleep while the others stayed up and recorded the incident.

Military commanders became aware of what happened after videos of the incident were shown to other students who subsequently told college staff, at which point an investigation was ordered.