When history looks back on the 2016 presidential election, it may conclude that one man from Virginia was central to the outcome. Not Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine. Not Governor Terry McAuliffe, but a Charlottesville resident who – until now – was unknown on the national stage.
Maybe you saw Khizer Kahn during live coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Maybe you’ve seen what he said on subsequent talk shows or online. A Muslim man taking the stage to remember his 27-year-old son Humayan – an army officer who grew up in this country, joined the military and was killed while protecting his men from a suicide bomber.
With his grieving wife by his side, Khizr Khan wondered how Donald Trump could dare to call for a ban on Muslims like his son.
“Donald Trump, you’re asking Americans to trust you with their future," he said. " Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy.”
And with that, he took a small copy of the constitution from his pocket. Since then, Khan has become a celebrity, appearing on dozens of talk shows and newscasts On the way to our studio, he told me:
"I had my head down. I try to hide by keeping my head down so no one will see me and throw a brick at me, but a car stopped, and there were three young women and their mother, and they started to yell my name. The young women ran toward me and embraced me. Their mother followed and shook my hand, and they said things that I don’t want to repeat, but it was just so amazing, and the reason for that is Americans are so decent. When they see something wrong being done to anybody, they want to stand up for them. They want to do their part, even if it is just giving a hug.”
Khan has no regrets about the speech he gave. He has long felt it was necessary.
“I had very quietly prayed in my heart that somebody would stand up and say to this person, ‘Stop it! You’re hurting my country. You’re hurting its image in the world!’” he explains.
And he feels sure his son would be proud of what he’s done. Indeed, he and his wife believe in an afterlife and are certain Humayun is with them as they crusade against intolerance.
“I believe, and Mrs. Kahn’s comment is so heart-warming, she was saying to me, ‘Why do they ask me, what are his memories? Memories are of the people who have left you, but he is with me. He sleeps close to me. When I vacuum the house, he takes the vacuum and does it for me. I don’t go to his room, because that’s where the memories are, but he is with me, so how can I answer people’s questions?’”
Mr. Khan is a Harvard educated attorney and consultant. Given his newfound celebrity and his deep sense of patriotism, some people have suggested he run for public office. Khan says he will not, but he plans to keep on speaking out against fear-mongering candidates who attack anyone who is not like them.
And does he really walk around with the constitution in his pocket? With a shy smile, Khan pulled out a dog-earned copy to prove it.