Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:16 pm
Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim parents of fallen U.S. soldier Humayun Khan, addressed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night in what was one of the most emotional moments of the entire convention.
Instead of going to law school as he intended, their son Humayun decided to enlist in the U.S. Army, where he eventually became a captain. In 2004, when his unit came under attack by a suicide bomber, Capt. Khan warned his unit to get back, while he stepped toward the car filled with explosives.
Capt. Khan died but certainly saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers.
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“We still wonder what made him take those 10 steps [towards the car].” Khan’s father has said. “Maybe that’s the point where all the values, all the service to country, all the things he learned in this country kicked in. It was those values that made him take those 10 steps. Those 10 steps told us we did not make [a] mistake in moving to this country.”
After Donald Trump has spent over a year denigrating Muslims like the Khans, Khizr and Ghazala Khan took the stage of the DNC to give the Republican nominee a lesson in American values.
Video:
Khizr Khan asks Trump: “Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy” #DNCinPHL https://t.co/jTGPxm3GCV
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 29, 2016
Khizr Khan said,
If it was up to Donald Trump, [my son] never would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities, women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you’re asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, ‘Have you even read the United States Consitution?’ I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of the law’. Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You’ll see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and we can not solve our problems by building walls and sowing division. We are strong together, and we will keep getting stronger when Hillary Clinton becomes our president.Â
Khan concluded by saying, “I ask all patriotic Americans, all Muslim immigrants, and all immigrants to not take this election lightly. This is a historic election, and I request you to honor the sacrifice of my son and, on election day, take the time to get out, and vote for the healer. Vote for the strongest, most qualified candidate, Hillary Clinton.”
It was one of the most moving and heartfelt moments of the convention and could deal a real blow to Donald Trump, who has spent his entire campaign denigrating Muslims.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
