The mother of a US Muslim soldier killed in Iraq hits back at Donald Trump for suggesting she was silent during her husband's speech because she wasn't allowed to speak.
The mother of a US Muslim soldier killed in Iraq has hit back at Donald Trump for suggesting she was silent during a speech by her husband because she wasn’t allowed to speak.
In a letter published in the Washington Post Gazhala Khan said Trump was ignorant about Islam and ‘knows nothing about true sacrifice.’
She added that the rest of America understood why she didn’t speak: because she was in pain.
Her husband, Khizr Khan, also spoke out about the disrespect for a ‘Gold Star’ mother. ‘Gold Star’ is the term given to someone whose family member has died while serving in the US military.
“The way he showed disrespect towards the Gold Star mother of this country that says it all. The candidate for the president of United States cannot empathise with the people that he wishes to lead,” said Khan.
Some Republicans also joined the criticism. The Republican Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, who was himself a candidate for the presidency, tweeted: “There’s only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect. Capt. Khan is a hero. Together, we should pray for his family”.
There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect. Capt. Khan is a hero. Together, we should pray for his family.
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) July 31, 2016
The chairman of Trump’s campaign, Paul Manafort, defended the Republican presidential candidate, saying: “He believes that we need to have a temporary suspension from refugees to stop refugees from coming in from countries that are active in terrorist activities or in a war. That’s the issue not the Khan family loss which we all regret.”