Father whose Muslim son was killed fighting in Iraq has some harsh words for Donald Trump

Khizr Khan, parent of Captain Humayun S. M. Khan of the 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division who lost his life in the defense of his country, told told Vocativ that he was appalled Trump’s plan ban on Muslims entering the U.S.

“Muslims are American, Muslims are citizens, Muslims participate in the well-being of this country as American citizens. We are proud American citizens. It’s the values of this country that brought us here, not our religion. Trump’s position on these issues do not represent those values.

We still wonder what made him [Humayun] take those 10 steps [towards the car]. 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. These were the values we wanted to adopt. Not religious values, human values. Those values that he learned throughout his life came together and made him a brave American soldier. This country is not strong because of its economic power, or military power. This country is strong because of its values, and during this political season, we all need to keep that in mind.”

Captain Khan lost his life in Iraq on June 8th, 2004 when a car bomb exploded at his checkpoint. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Khan ordered his unit to take cover while he approached the vehicle alone, which prompted the suicide bomber to detonate their explosives.

Thanks to his selflessness and intuition, none of his men lost their lives that day. He was later laid to rest with full honors. Khan’s obituary read, “His colleagues and superiors remembered him for his courage, honesty, sense of humor and grace while in the field, even under pressure.”

Khan was one of 14 Muslim-Americans who have lost their lives while serving the United States military in the 10 years since the 9/11 terror attacks. His family came to the U.S. by way of the United Arab Emirates and was a graduate from the University of Virginia.

Featured image via Khizr M. Khan

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