A Fallen Immigrant Soldier Dominates the Early Days of Campaign 2016
Earlier this week, Khizr Kahn, father of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq in combat, offered a passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention. His son, Humayun Khan, a Muslim American, sacrificed his life to save the lives of soldiers under his command. His parents emphasized their patriotism and loyalty to America and attacked Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric directed toward all Muslims.
Khizr works as a legal consultant in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is married to Ghazala Kahn. Khizr was born in Pakistan. In 1980, the Khan family moved from the United Arab Emirates to Boston, Massachusetts so that Khizr could attend a masters in law program at Harvard. The family then moved to Maryland, where Humayun Khan attended high school.
Khizr Kahn’s speech continues to reverberate nationally. Trump lashed out at Khan over his speech at the Democratic Convention, expressing doubt over whether he prepared his own remarks and firing off questions over his wife Ghazala’s silence on stage. The Hill reports that Donald Trump is experiencing a backlash for attacking Khan. A spokeswoman for Speaker of the House Paul Ryan yesterday responded to Trump’s comments, reaffirming the Speaker’s distaste for Trump’s rhetoric about Muslims. “The speaker has made clear many times that he rejects this idea, and himself has talked about how Muslim Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country,” AshLee Strong said in a statement to CBS News.
KJ