Muslim Dad Khizr Khan Tells CNN Terror ‘Has Nothing to Do with Islam’

Khizr Khan, the bereaved father of fallen soldier Capt. Humayun Khan who attacked Donald Trump last week in a speech at the Democratic National Convention, told CNN’s Jim Acosta Sunday morning that terror has “nothing to do with Islam.”

Here is Khan’s full quote (emphasis added):

In addition to this, there was in the speech that my good wife asked me to refrain from saying, I wanted to say we reject all violence. We are faithful, patriotic, undivided loyalty to this country. We reject all terrorism. She asked me not to say that because that was not the occasion for such a statement. We say to his ignorance, I address his ignorance, that the dirt effect, the most effect of the menace of terrorism have been Muslims in the world, Muslims hate this menace of terrorism as much as any other place. It is our duty to keep this country, our country, beautiful country, safe. We have always thought of [it] that way, we will continue to do our part to keep it safe and beautiful. What he cites in the name of Islam, and all that — that is not Islam at all! I wish he would have, somebody would have put something in his head that these are terrorists, these are criminals, these folks have nothing to do with Islam.

Khan also asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to “repudiate” Trump, calling it a “moral obligation” and warning that failing to do so would be a “burden on their souls” that history would not forgive.

In previous remarks, Trump had acknowledged the positive contributions of most Muslims, while focusing on the need to fight radical Islamic terror. In his speech after the Islamic terror attack on a gay nightclub last month in Orlando, for example, Trump said: “We have Muslim communities in this country that are great, and we have to form that partnership.”

Last Thursday, Khan caused a sensation at the convention when he spoke alongside his wife, challenging Trump’s proposed ban on Muslim immigration, saying: “Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? … You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”

Khan made no mention of radical Islam, or terror. His claim that the Constitution bars Trump’s ban on Muslim immigration has also been disputed.

The media — which ignored, or disputed, a similar speech at the Republican National Convention, by Patricia Smith, who lost her son at Benghazi, followed up on Khan’s speech by challenging Trump to respond. Trump answered by questioning why Khan’s wife had not said anything — an apparent reference to the subordinate status of women in Islam — and reiterated: “We’ve had a lot of problems with radical Islamic terrorism, that’s what I’d say.”

Trump’s responses only fueled further media outrage. In a clarifying statement Sunday, Trump said that “Captain Humayun Khan was a hero to our country,” adding: “The real problem here are the radical Islamic terrorists who killed him.” He said Khizr Khan “has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the Constitution (which is false).”

On Sunday morning, Trump followed up by tweeting:

Trump has repeatedly criticized Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for refusing to acknowledge the link between radical Islam and terror.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. His new book, See No Evil: 19 Hard Truths the Left Can’t Handle, is available from Regnery through Amazon. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.