Khizr Khan rips Trump for ‘Bigoted Words’

Kahn with County Executive, Kevin Kamenetz

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz invited Khizr Khan, a Pakistani immigrant, and now an American citizen, to speak at a “Call for Unity” rally in Towson Wednesday afternoon. It was held in the Patriot’s Plaza, located between the County’s Court House and its office buildings.

A large crowd of about 200, with many social justice activists, civil rights leaders and clergy members, were in attendance. Flags and bells were given out to the audience. One of the signs an activist was carrying, read: “We are all refugees.”

Khan, who resides in Virginia, is the father of U.S. Army Captain, Humayun Khan, age 27, who was killed in action in Baquabah, Iraq, in 2004. Along with other “Gold Star” parents, Khan was asked to address the Democratic National Convention held in Philadelphia, PA, in the summer of 2016.

At the Democratic Convention, which was attended by Kamenetz, Khan sharply criticized the then-Republican candidate for President, Donald Trump, for “smearing Muslims.” (This is the same disputed Convention, where Hillary Clinton won the presidential nomination of her party over Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.)

Yesterday, in Towson, Khan went a step further. He claimed that candidate Trump had “uttered the most bigoted words in the political history of this Nation!” Not only did Trump want “to ban all Muslims,” Khan continued, he also wanted “all Hispanics” to be “thrown out;” and he also believed that “women didn’t deserve equal dignity or respect;” and that “judges are partial.”

Khizr Khan Rips Trump for “Bigoted Words” from Bill Hughes on Vimeo.

After Kahn’s remarks, which received the loud approval of the audience, Kamenetz awarded him a “Special Citation” for having the courage to speak out for “the rights of immigrant communities.”

The County Executive has also made it known that he plans to run for the office of governor of Maryland in the 2018 Democratic primary. Maryland’s current governor, Larry Hogan, is a Republican. At the rally, Kamenetz issued a proclamation naming July 12th as “Unity Day” in the county.

Baltimore County is the third largest largest county in the state. It has a population of 831,128, according to its website.

Since taking office Trump had issued a controversial Executive Order banning Muslims from six countries from entering the U.S. until certain conditions are met. That Order, was upheld on June 26, 2017, with some qualifications, by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.

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