by Jason Hopkins
President Donald Trump signed a bill that names a post office after Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim soldier who was killed in 2004 while serving in Iraq.
The law changes the name of a U.S. Postal Service facility in Charlottesville, Virginia, to the Captain Humayun Khan Post Office. Before it landed on Trump’s desk, the bill enjoyed widespread support from both parties. First introduced by Virginia Republican Rep. Tom Garrett, it received unanimous consent in both chambers.
Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, praised the law.
“With the dedication of this post office, we’re showing the Khan family that we’re forever grateful for his service and sacrifice for our country,” the two senators said in a joint statement.
Humayan, a 27-year-old U.S. Army officer at the time, was killed June 8, 2004, when a vehicle containing explosives drove into his compound. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Twelve years later, Humayun became a household name when his parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, were keynote speakers at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. His father teared into then-candidate Trump for his comments about Muslims, and accused the Republican presidential nominee of “sacrificing nothing and no one.”
“If it was up to Donald Trump, [my son] never would have been in America. Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims,” Khizr said in his 2016 speech. “He disrespects other minorities — women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country.”
Trump responded at the time, openly wondering if Khizr’s wife, who stood beside him during the speech but said nothing, didn’t speak because she wasn’t “allowed.” Trump’s campaign later walked back criticism of the Gold Star family, maintaining Humayan is “a hero to our country.”
After his DNC address, Khizr continued to play a role in Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
A Clinton presidential campaign ad that ran in key battleground states featured Khizr, during which he asked Trump if his son would “have a place in your America.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee later invoked the Gold Star father’s name in 2017 when soliciting campaign donations. Khizr returned to the spotlight in early 2018 when he spoke out against Trump’s attempt to restrict travel from a number of Muslim-majority countries.
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Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Jason on Twitter.
