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Gold Star parent Khizr Khan’s offer to lend pocket Constitution to the president remains standing

Edwin Tse

While Gold Star parent Khzir Khan talked with host Don Marsh on Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air, locals prepared for President Donald Trump’s visit to St. Charles.

At the 2016 Democratic Convention, Khan called out Donald Trump, the then Republican candidate, for his statements about Muslims. Khan pulled out a copy of the Constitution from his jacket pocket and offered to lend it to Donald Trump.

Khan said his offer still remains the same.

“My offer to the president remains the standing,” Khan said. “For a person occupying the most dignified office of this land, [they] must read the Constitution.”

Khan’s new memoir "An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice,” reflects on his experience as a Muslim-American immigrant and pays tribute to his son — a U.S. soldier killed in the war in Iraq in 2004.

His fascination with the U.S. Constitution began while he was a university student in Pakistan. He came across the document and read it all in one standing — he even remembers slipping off his shoes because his feet hurt from standing so long.

Since 2005, Khan has kept a Constitution in his pocket. Khan and his wife Ghazala often give pocket Constitutions as gifts to friends and family.

“These values really have an amazing imprint on the character of America and the nation … [they are] exceptionally positive, an exceptional beacon of hope for the rest of the world,” he said. “And it shall remain the same because we will remain standing in defense of these values.”

Listen below to hear more about Khan's admiration of the U.S. Constitution:

 

Related Event:

What: St. Louis County Library Presents Khizr Khan (SOLD OUT)

When: Nov. 29, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Where: St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis MO. 63131

More information

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary EdwardsAlex Heuer and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

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Lara is the Engagement Editor at St. Louis Public Radio.