How father of an American Muslim soldier killed in Iraq shamed Trump
Khizr Khan, whose son, Humayun, was killed while serving in Iraq, holds up a copy of the Constitution. Photo: Reuters
Many times political discourse gets so warped in points and counter-points and counters to counter-points that we ignore a basic aspect which defines us, binds us all together: humanity.
In India, people want to debate about the use of pellet guns on Indian teenagers throwing stones on paramilitary forces, forgetting that with every other day that we spend on self-defeating battle of rhetorics, kids in Kashmir are losing their gift of sight.
Modiji likes to tour other countries, Amit Shah is busy planning for Uttar Pradesh elections and Rahul Gandhi is busy looking for catchphrases.
All the while our kids our shot in the name of god knows what while most of the media keeps hoping for a Hafiz Saeed sighting, as if he were Haley's Comet itself.
Sigh.
America (Barack Obama's America) on July 28 put forward the greatest example for them as a nation, as a people, together fighting the problems they have.
Khizr Khan came took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to talk about his son, Humayun Khan.
Humayun wanted to be a lawyer, but didn't refuse his nation's call when he was summoned to fight in Iraq.
He died there in 2004 their trying to protect other soldiers.
Khizr Khan, shaking at this point on stage, with his wife on his side, said, "If it was Donald Trump, my son wouldn't have ever been in America."
Trump has been berating that he'll ban all Muslims and other minorities in the US, trying to position himself as the saviour of scared "Americans".
Khizr Khan's son gave up his life for America.
Donald Trump owns a University which devastated many American students out of an education.
"You have sacrificed nothing and no one," Khizr Khan told Donald Trump.
"Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America - you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities.
We can't solve our problems by building walls and sowing division. We are Stronger Together."
The Khizr Khan speech is just going to enrage Trumpkins because somewhere inside, it made them ashamed.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) July 29, 2016
Because I sure am honored to share a country with Khizr Khan.pic.twitter.com/F8wSrdJa10
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 29, 2016
Khan's speech addressed the core values of his nation, of his constitution.
Incredibly, America's Times Now, Fox News didn't even telecast his address.
Perhaps they were busy addressing Hafiz Saeed's latest video. Perhaps they were asking for a ban on other channels for being unpatriotic.
India too is at crossroads.
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| Two muslim "beef transporters" are forced to eat cow dung after being thrashed. |
Who is more Indian here?
What we can learn from the Americans is exactly this lesson in humaneness. Two of the world's biggest democracies mirror each other, but not in a nice away. Khizr Khans and Mohammad Akhlaqs suffer at both places, but why should they?
It's time for a reckoning.