World

Mother of Pakistani-American war hero says Trump ignorant of Islam, sacrifice

'I didn't say anything because I was in pain,' Ghazala Khan wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece

Reuters July 31, 2016

Parents of the American Muslim soldier who was killed in Iraq. PHOTO: FILE

WASHINGTON: The mother of a American Muslim soldier who was killed in Iraq castigated Republican Donald Trump on Sunday as ignorant of Islam and of sacrifice after he questioned her silence during her husband's speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Ghazala Khan, whose son, US Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed in 2004, bristled at Trump's implication she was silent because she, as a Muslim woman, had not been allowed to speak.

"Donald Trump said that maybe I wasn't allowed to say anything. That is not true," she wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece, adding that she decided not to speak at the convention because of her pain over the 2004 death of her son.

Donald Trump responds to slain Pakistani-American soldier's dad

"When Donald Trump is talking about Islam, he is ignorant," she wrote.

"Donald Trump said he has made a lot of sacrifices. He doesn't know what the word sacrifice means."

Earlier on Thursday, father of Humayun accused Trump of vilifying patriotic American Muslims while “sacrificing nothing” himself, in a steely rebuke that electrified the Democratic convention.

Father of Pakistani-American war hero to Trump

Khizr Khan admonished the Republican presidential nominee for his plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States.

“Tonight we are honored to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to the country,” he said, stirring delegates who had watched a video tribute to his son in captivated silence.

Trump on Sunday tweeted that Khan's son had died twelve years ago: "Captain Khan, killed 12 years ago, was a hero, but this is about RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR and the weakness of our "leaders" to eradicate it!"

Captain Khan, killed 12 years ago, was a hero, but this is about RADICAL ISLAMIC TERROR and the weakness of our "leaders" to eradicate it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2016

Trump said he had been "viciously attacked" by Khan at the convention. "Am I not allowed to respond?" he asked. "Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!"

I was viciously attacked by Mr. Khan at the Democratic Convention. Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2016

COMMENTS (16)

Rustam | 8 years ago | Reply @Observer: There are terorists among christians and hundus, too. Keep your eyes open to observe 360 degree with transparent glasses and not tinted one. Why do not your blame the whole communities of christians and hindus for such incidents. Observation with tinted glasses? Number of Muslims victims of these so-called ISIS are much more than others. Still the victims are terorists!

Samir Dutt | 8 years ago | Reply The Khan family has done all South Asians proud. Bravo!

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Zaida Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Oppression of women in Islamic culture has nothing to do with the issue of sacrifice.

Anon | 8 years ago | Reply A lot of Muslims are victims of blue-on-blue attacks. The West has no way of knowing who is radicalized and who isn't. Better to be safe than sorry.

IndianDude | 8 years ago | Reply There was a pakistani muslim who spoke during republican convention in support for Donald Trump banning muslims. Which one is right? Better yet, who is a true muslim? So far 12 muslim americans have sacrifices their lives for USA. (most of them to get a citizenship as USA grants citizenship to immigrants who serves in Armed forces for 1 year or more) American muslims have murdered the most and very large numbers of US armed forces and citizens in name of Islam in USA.

Black Hawk | 8 years ago | Reply As an American, I respect the sentiments of Mr. & Mrs. Khan & highly appreciate the sacrifice of their son Capt. Humayun Khan, Islamic terrorism is also an unfortunate reality of today. Sadly there are very few Muslims like Khan who give their lives for innocent people & many more muslims who take the lives of innocent people all over the world.

Ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply I think she got permission to speak now.

MAI | 8 years ago | Reply Couple son die for USA not for islam. please do not use islam for political benefits.

Naila | 8 years ago | Reply @whats in the name: Thats what we do the best. If you dont know it by naaaaaaaaaaw, you wil never ever ever ever know it

Rao | 8 years ago | Reply @whats in the name: Dear madam: one doesn't have to be Muslim or otherwise to notice in a minute that Trump is a bigot, racist , misogynist and a thug. His is an example where you see serious flaw exist even in a highly developed democracy like USA. Mr. Bloomberg , a former mayor of NewYork city said in Democratic National Convention Trump was a con man. Is ng enough ?

curious2 | 8 years ago | Reply @M.S.:

True Islam is to defend your country and die for it

I guess all those Muslims in the UK who wanted to go to Afghanistan to fight NATO weren't real Muslims? If religion were a benchmark for patriotism (which it isn't) Muslims would get an failing grade in most countries.

whats in the name | 8 years ago | Reply Everything starts and ends with Islam for Pakistanis and Muslims.... Isint there any other pastime for you folks.... Sorry about it but....you guys are taking it to the next level....

Observer | 8 years ago | Reply You believe in what you see, and what the people of the world see every day about terrorism and killing perpetrated by the Muslims in the name of Islam, no amount of lip service can change that... why blame Trump ??

M.S. | 8 years ago | Reply We love this brave couple. True Islam is to defend your country and die for it. Every Muslim living in America and West should rise to defend and sacrifice for the countries in which they live.

Ch. Allah Daad | 8 years ago | Reply I feel sorry for this couple. They have lost their precious son but they are using his death for wrong reasons. Their target should be Hillary Clinton who supported unjust and cruel war in which their son died along with millions of innocent Iraqis. Trump had nothing to do with their son's death, in fact he was against that war. They are being used by democrats for their ulterior motive to get elected a war monger. Trump could be a lose cannon but he is not a war monger.

quatro | 8 years ago | Reply Trump maybe ignorant about Islam and he's stupid to pick on the parent of anyone who sacrificed his life in the military of the USA - but even a broken watch is right on occasion.

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