I saw this piece in the New York Times yesterday, and was surprised to see that it has not received more widespread coverage.
Moment in Convention Glare Shakes Up Khans’ American Life
After the Trump campaign surrogates started in on their callous attacks on Mr. Khan-questioning not only his motives and allegiances but those of his deceased son-I did my own research and unsurprisingly I found the attacks were completely baseless in nature. I covered some of what I had found in a recent comment which I had hoped to make into a diary, but didn’t have the time.
This profile of the Khan family proves all of what my own research revealed, and then some.
But beyond that it is a beautifully written and touching profile of this family, who were unwittingly shoved into the spotlight-and directly into the cross-hairs of a destructive campaign fueled by hate and fevered conspiracy.
I had deep sympathy for the Khan’s prior to reading this piece. After reading it I am moved beyond words. I came away with a full picture of this unique but quintessentially American family, and the bright young man who lost his life in Baqubah, Iraq in June of 2004. I had read about Humayun before-from his fellow servicemen, from his parents of course-but I have never read such a thorough portrait of him. He was truly a remarkable man.
I came away from this piece profoundly moved, and even more angry and disgusted with the way that the Trump campaign and surrogates have attacked this family than I can convey through words.
I also came away profoundly optimistic and proud of my country. To say that the Khans truly represent the best of America is not a pandering soundbyte from a politician, it is a deeply ingrained truth that should cross partisan lines. I don’t think it has been fully conveyed yet how much this family embodies the fabric and spirit of our nation. They are emblematic of why immigrants are such an integral part of American society, and some of the most patriotic citizens you will ever meet.
Although this was not an explicitly political article, there are some takeaways I would like to highlight as they directly contradict attacks made against the Khan family in the aftermath of their public remarks.
- While the fact that this even needs to be said is a demonstrative of the absurdity and utter callousness of the Trump campaign, the grief of Ghazala Khan is indeed so deeply profound and overwhelming that it would have been impossible for her to speak in front of a national audience without breaking down completely. That she was even able to maintain her composure standing at her husbands side is testament to her grace and spirit. Of course, this was already clear to any mother, or any human being with an ounce of empathy in their veins for that matter, and she has said as much in her own words- but for any who still dare to question her motives there is plenty of anecdotal proof in this portrait that Ghazala Khan’s grief runs deeply and is still very, very raw. She cannot go into her son’s room to this day. More than a decade later, she tells his story and breaks down in tears at the mention of his name. She is also clearly a quiet and gentle woman who I cannot imagine was anxious to speak in front of a national audience. As a mother I can’t even think of her or her loss without breaking down myself.
- Mr. Khan is not an immigration lawyer, let alone a lawyer who specializes in immigration from Muslim countries. This is important, as this “fact” is being passed along by both sides without scrutiny. As I stated in my comment originally-he specializes in electronic discovery for medical malpractice suits. He has some experience in international business law and deals with specialized visas related to that, but that is not the core of his practice. While there is certainly nothing wrong with being an immigration lawyer, it is important to clarify this because it is being used as part of a larger smear narrative. So to be very clear here: Mr. Khan has nothing to gain and no motivation for his remarks other than to defend the honor of his son’s memory, and push back against the denigration of Muslim American families like his own.
- The constitution that Mr. Khan took from his breast pocket was not a prop-he has long been known to not only carry it with him everywhere he goes, he keeps dozens of them at his home to hand out to visitors, strangers, the ROTC cadets that he and his wife host in their home for dinners, and award scholarships to in their son’s honor. When Mr. Khan said he stood before us as a deeply patriotic Muslim American with undivided loyalty, that was not, as many republicans and Trump surrogates so cynically suggested, a scripted line. This is who Mr. Khan IS. In the words of Tim Leroux, a former commander of the Army R.O.T.C. program at the University of Virginia:
“For years, I’ve been telling people he’s the most patriotic person I’ve ever met, and I’ve met quite a few,” Mr. Leroux said of Mr. Khan. “There are people who will put on cutoffs of the American flag and say they’re patriotic. Or they’ll put on bumper stickers — America, Love It or Leave It — and say they’re patriotic. He has a much more profound idea of being patriotic. It’s a complete understanding of what liberty and democracy mean.”
- The final takeaway is this. The Khan family does not wish to remain under the public spotlight. Mr. Khan has had to take down his law practice website because of hateful and threatening messages, and his health is being affected by the stress. We have to remember these are private citizens, and not people who actively sought out the spotlight-they were simply called to do a service for their country, and they rose to the occasion, much like their beloved son. They did so at considerable personal sacrifice, when they have already sacrificed so much.
I will never forget this family, and I will defend them any time I see them attacked. Please do the same, while respecting their wishes to resume their normal life. They deserve every bit of respect and honor we have to offer.
But first, please take a moment out of your day to read this profile of the Khan family. I promise it will be worth your time.