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| Raheel Siddiqui |
DEARBORN — Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) sent a letter to U.S. Marine Corps Commandant General Robert B. Neller seeking further clarification on the circumstances surrounding the death of Marine Private Raheel Siddiqui of Taylor.
Siddiqui died on March 18, after arriving at Parris Island for boot camp.
Siddiqui’s family members say military investigators told them their son committed suicide by deliberately jumping off the third floor of a building. They are skeptical about this conclusion.
“He was a young man of the Muslim faith who loved his country and wanted to serve it and protect the freedoms for which it stands,” Dingell said of Siddiqui. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Dingell is requesting a timeline for the investigation and preserving all records relevant to the incident, including medical and autopsy reports. The congresswoman also wants to know if there had been any interactions between the fallen private and a commander who was relieved of his duties a day before Siddiqui’s death.
“Some are concerned that hazing may have been involved in the death of Private Siddiqui,” Dingell wrote in the letter. “Has the Marine Corps received any indication that any hazing occurred in this instance? Does the Marine Corps have any policies in place to prevent and deter hazing from happening at basic training? Please provide a detailed response.”
Close to 6,000 Muslims serve in the U.S. armed forces, according to the Department of Defense.
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