Kwantlen University President Chides CCRF, Says Religious Freedom Case Now Closed
Students of faith at BC’s Kwantlen University will once again receive equal treatment under the policies of the schools Student Union, following pressures from religious freedom groups.
In an email to the Canadian Council for Religious Freedom, Kwantlen president Alan Davis indicated that the matter has been resolved, but raised concerns that the Council had “disparaged the students and…University without knowing the full story,”.
When asked by the CCRF to provide the “full story”, Davis indicated that the Kwantlen Student’s Union had not banned a campus pro-life club, but had simply refused to recognize or fund it, in keeping with the student group’s pro-abortion policy. He criticized the CCRF for lacking due diligence on the Kwantlen faith group story.
“Kwantlen University is splitting hairs,” responded CCRF Chair Father Geoffrey Korz. “There is no meaningful difference between banning a student club, and refusing to recognize and fund it because of the faith-based views of student members,” he said.
“In his emails, the University President attacked religious media, Roman Catholic media in particular, for their coverage of the Kwantlen decision. Now that voices for religious freedom have brought the ill-advised decision to light, the university administration is running for cover,” he said.
The CCRF credited the intervention of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms and their lawyer, John Carpay, who represented the pro-life group pro-bono.
“We hope that the Kwantlen administration, together with the student association involved, appreciate the important role they have played in helping to define the scope and form of religious freedom on Canadian campuses, and in Canadian society at large,” the CCRF Chair stated.
“Even in Canada, religious freedom is a gift which requires eternal vigilance. There will always be those who feel they can ride roughshod over the faith of others, while continuing to deny they have done anything wrong,” he said.
