Fed: Ban for religious student who disrupted uni classes

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2007
Fed: Ban for religious student who disrupted uni classes

By Peter Veness

CANBERRA, Aug 22 AAP - A university student in Canberra who repeatedly interrupted
lectures by shouting his religious beliefs was forcibly removed from his campus by police
and has been suspended for 28 days.

Police were called to the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra last week
after the student continued to disrupt lectures, despite repeated warnings from staff.

An internal email obtained by AAP says the student had not responded to repeated orders
to stop the behaviour.

"The student ... has been interrupting classes to make statements about his religious
convictions," Dean of the ANU College of Law, Michael Coper, said in the email to students.

"It has been pointed out to him, by a number of colleagues over a considerable period
of time, that, while we respect his religious beliefs, there are appropriate and inappropriate
ways of expressing them, and that to disrupt class is inappropriate."

The email does not reveal the student's religion but it does link his comments to current
national security concerns and AAP understands he is a Muslim.

"We have no evidence that (the student) is likely to pose any physical threat to others,
but I can understand why you might be concerned given the prominence accorded to security
issues in today's world," it says.

"He has now been excluded, as a result of action both by the university and the police,
for a period of 28 days, pending misconduct proceedings."

ACT police said officers escorted the student from campus but he was not arrested.

ANU refused to comment.

AAP pv/sb/evt/cdh

KEYWORD: STUDENT

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