World

Father of Pakistani-American war hero attacks Trump's comment at debate

We were not only shocked but saddened for such disingenuous expression of his thinking and feeling, says Khizr Khan

Reuters October 11, 2016

Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun (L) was killed serving in the US Army, challenges Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to read his copy of the US Constitution, at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US July 28, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

Khizr Khan, the father of a decorated Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq, lashed out at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday for saying his son would still be alive if Trump had been president at the time.

"For this candidate to put his political expediency ahead of any realisation of pain and suffering of the families is shameful," Khan said in an interview with CNN.

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

The New York businessman raised the name of US Army Captain Humayun Khan in a Sunday night presidential debate while criticising Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for voting in favour of the 2003 invasion of Iraq when she was a US senator. "If I was president at that time he would be alive today," Trump said. Despite his assertion that he always opposed the war, Trump had expressed support for it in a 2002 interview.

Khizr Khan had delivered a speech to the Democratic National Convention in July showcasing his son's military service and criticizing Trump's campaign call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country.

Trump responded at the time by questioning whether Khan's wife, Ghazala Khan, was not "allowed" to speak when she appeared next to her husband on the stage, an insinuation of some conservative form of Islam that embroiled the candidate in an unpopular dispute with the Muslim parents of a fallen war hero.

Slain Pakistani-American soldier's father calls Trump a 'black soul'

The Khans were stunned to hear Trump bring up the name of their son, who was killed in 2004, in Sunday's nationally televised debate, the father said. "We were not only shocked, we were saddened for such disingenuous expression of his thinking and of his feeling," Khan said.

Trump has said he has modified his call for a ban on Muslims entering the country to a plan for "extreme vetting."

COMMENTS (2)

Raj - USA | 8 years ago | Reply I don't like many things Trump has said and has done in the past. However, in this particular instance, Trump is not to be blamed. It was Hillary who brought mentioned Khan first and Trump only responded and I think his response was good. I watched the full debate.

Davis | 8 years ago | Reply For every Muslim American war hero, there are 10-100 American war heroes who actually share Trump's views. Why is it that their views are not taken into consideration, but a "Muslim war hero" is given this level of importance?

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