Slain Soldier's Father Speaks at DNC

Khizr Khan, father to United States Army Captain Humayun Khan, spoke at the Democratic National Convention on July 28th, addressing Donald Trump with the words “If it were up to Donald Trump, [Humayun] never would have been in America.”The fallen soldier, who was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal, was interred at Arlington with full military honors after being killed in Baquabah, Iraq, on June 8, 2004. He was reportedly investigating a potential vehicle-born improvised explosive device, when, after ordering his men to stay back, he took ten steps toward the vehicle. The vehicle then exploded, killing Khan instantly.

At his funeral, his colleagues and superiors “eulogized his exemplary service and praised him for the leadership he provided to his troops.”The issue of Humayun Khan’s heritage was brought up at the Democratic National Convention by his father, Khizr Khan, a legal consultant. The family is of Pakistani origin, but moved to the United Arab Emirates and then to the United States in the 1970’s. Humayun Khan was born in the U.A.E. and then moved to America with his family.Humayun Khan is one of 14 American Muslims who died while serving in the United States military within ten years after the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks.The Army Captain was a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Reserve Officer Training Corps. He had originally intended to go to law school, but decided instead to join the United States Army. He was an Ordnance Officer who had been assigned as an infantry platoon leader. He originally wanted to serve as an “advocate for veterans” after leaving the military. His degree was in psychology.Khizr Khan’s words at the DNC reflect his dissatisfaction with Donald Trump’s statements about barring Muslims from entering the country. According to Arlington Cemetery, Humayun Khan was the senior-ranking Pakistani-American to die in Iraq.