Muslim group asks women to speak out against Trump

A prominent Muslim group is urging women to speak out against Donald Trump after the Republican presidential nominee made disparaging remarks about the mother of a slain US soldier.

In a press release on Sunday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Muslim women activists to “tweet about who they are and how they speak out,” using the hashtag #CanYouHearUsNow.

Trump drew condemnation from both sides of the aisle over the weekend after he belittled the parents of Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004.

Last Thursday night, Khizr Khan addressed the Democratic National Convention, denouncing Trump as unpatriotic and selfish over his divisive rhetoric against immigrants and Muslims.

Trump responded, in part, by suggesting that Ghazala Khan, the mother of the fallen soldier, was silent during her husband’s speech at the DNC because she was not “allowed” to speak.

In an op-ed in the Washington Post published on Sunday, Ghazala Khan said that she did not intend to speak during the convention because she would get emotional.

“Walking onto the convention stage, with a huge picture of my son behind me, I could hardly control myself,” she wrote. “What mother could? Donald Trump has children whom he loves. Does he really need to wonder why I did not speak?” 

CAIR also demanded that Trump apologize to the Khan family.

“As the leader of America's largest Muslim civil rights organization, I urge Donald Trump to apologize for his shameful remarks disparaging a Muslim Gold Star family and for his repeated use and promotion of anti-Muslim stereotypes," said Roula Allouch, the chair of CAIR's national board.

“Just as Donald Trump must apologize for his un-American remarks, Republican Party leaders must finally repudiate their candidate's divisive rhetoric,” she added.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for US president, accused Trump of scapegoating Humayun’s parents.

Clinton said Sunday that Trump had been insulting to a family who had sacrificed so much for their country.

"I don't begrudge anyone of any other faith or of no faith at all, but I do tremble before those who would scapegoat other Americans, who would insult people because of their religion, their ethnicity, their disability," she said in remarks at a church service in Ohio.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk