Story of a dead soldier confronts Trump’s stance against Muslims

The story of Humayun S.M. Khan, a Muslim soldier who was killed in Iraq, narrated by his father at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) confronted the rancor expressed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who proposes banning Muslims from entering the United States.

“Our son Humayun had dreams of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers,” said Khizr M. Khan, at the convention that ended Friday in Philadelphia, USA.

During a mission in northern Baghdad in June 2004, Captain Humayun S.M. Khan ordered his troops to seek cover when he saw a vehicle approaching them, thereby saving their lives, but was killed when the car exploded, making him one of the 14 US Muslim soldiers to die after the Sept.11 attack.

On Friday, his father launched a scathing attack against Donald Trump at the Democratic Convention, where Hillary Clinton was officially named the Democratic presidential candidate.

“If it was up to Donald Trump, he (Humayun) never would have been in America,” said M. Khan in reference to the tycoon’s proposal to ban the entry of Muslims into the United States to combat terrorist groups including the Islamic State.

“Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equality before the law,” added M. Khan, holding up a copy of the Constitution.

The father of the deceased soldier then urged 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.”

“You have sacrificed nothing. And no one,” he added.

M. Khan’s speech almost overshadowed another impassioned address by John Allen, US special envoy to the international coalition against the Islamic State.

Allen expressed his support for Clinton, calling her the best person to lead the country’s armed forces.

“I also know that with her as our commander in chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction. I also know that our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture, and they will not be engaged in murder, or carry out other illegal activities,” Allen said.

Interrupted by chants of “USA” and “no more war,” Allen, who is also the former head of the NATO Forces in Afghanistan, made an indirect reference to Trump, who has suggested that he will resort to torture to interrogate terrorist suspects if elected president.