“Hate Is Un-American,” Gold Star Father Khizr Khan Joins Detroit Today
“This election season isn’t about two candidates, it’s about the foundational values of this country.”
Khizr Khan, the father of slain American soldier Humayun Khan, offered to lend Donald Trump his copy of the United States Constitution at the Democratic National Convention last summer. It was a moment that illustrated the strong — even exceptional — patriotism that immigrants in this country feel and demonstrate.
It was a moment all about tearing away the veil of otherness dividing native-born and immigrant communities in this nation. And it sparked a national back-and-forth between Khan and Trump that was detrimental to the GOP nominee’s campaign.
Khan joins Host Stephen Henderson on WDET’s Detroit Today to talk about American values, the election and his late son.
A full transcript appears here.
“The values that he cherished most were caring for others … I’ll speak about these things, forgive me, a little emotionally, because it reminds us the extent of the patriotism of this county, the extent of realization of the values of this country,” Khan says.
“Sometimes parents teach their children. Sometimes circumstances are such that children wind up teaching parents. So, we were taught by him what patriotism is, what caring for others is. And that is at the foundation of this country.”
Khan is in metro Detroit to receive an award from the Arab American Civil Rights League at the group’s annual Fight for Justice gala in Dearborn tonight.
Khan says he’s no longer interested in engaging in another back-and-forth with major party nominees.
“This election season isn’t about two candidates, it’s about the foundational values of this country,” he says. “The leadership of the world lies in those values.”
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.
Click here to read Stephen Henderson’s column in the Detroit Free Press about his reaction to this conversation.
