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Father of slain Muslim soldier challenges Trump on immigration ban

By Eric DuVall
Khizr Khan, whose son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq, brandishes a copy of the U.S. Constitution as he addresses delegates at the Democratic National Convention. Khan questioned whether, considering his proposal to ban Muslim immigration, Trump had ever read the document. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
Khizr Khan, whose son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq, brandishes a copy of the U.S. Constitution as he addresses delegates at the Democratic National Convention. Khan questioned whether, considering his proposal to ban Muslim immigration, Trump had ever read the document. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo

PHILADELPHIA, July 28 (UPI) -- The father of a Muslim Army captain who was killed in combat offered a harsh rebuke of Donald Trump's proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from immigrating to the United States, asking the Republican nominee "have you even read the United States Constitution?"

Khizr Kahn, father of slain U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, addressed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, prompting a sustained standing ovation from the partisan crowd when he said Trump is opposed to religious freedom and dishonored his family's sacrifice.

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"Tonight we are honored to stand here as parents of Capt. Humayun Khan and as patriotic American Muslims ... with undivided loyalty to our country," Khan said.

He said his son's military service would never have been possible under a Trump presidency because their family would have been banned from ever immigrating here.

"Hillary Clinton was right to say my son is the best of America. If it was up to Donald Trump, he would never have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims," he said.

Khan pointedly asked Trump whether he believes in the values of religious liberty enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

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"Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy," Khan said, pulling a copy of the nation's founding document from his breast pocket. "In this document, look for the words 'liberty' and 'equal protection of law.'"

He closed, asking whether Trump had considered the fact that Americans of all backgrounds have sacrificed their lives in the military, considering Trump and his children never served in the armed forces.

"Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery? Look for the graves of brave people who died defending the United States of America. You'll see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one."

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