Khizr Khan cancels Toronto speech as 'travel privilege' under review
American Gold Star father, Khizr Khan, has canceled a speech in Toronto after being told his “travel privileges are being reviewed,” according to the event organizer, Ramsay Talks.
He was scheduled to speak on Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Toronto-based organization Ramsay Talks.
“Late Sunday evening Khizr Khan, an American citizen for over 30 years, was notified that his travel privileges are being reviewed,” said Ramsay Talks in a statement. “As a consequence, Mr. Khan will not be traveling to Toronto on March 7th to speak about tolerance, understanding, unity and the rule of law.”
“Very regretfully, Ramsay Talks must cancel its luncheon with Mr. Khan.”
Khizr Khan is a naturalized US citizen and has lived in the US since 1980.
He rose to prominence last year when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention about his son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who died in Iraq in 2004.
Khan offered his sincere apologies to all those who made plans to attend on March 7th.
He said in a statement that he was confused about why his travel status changed, without explaining in detail the circumstance.
“This turn of events is not just of deep concern to me but to all my fellow Americans who cherish our freedom to travel abroad,” said Khan in a statement. “I have not been given any reason as to why.”
“I am grateful for your support and look forward to visiting Toronto in the near future.”
At the Democratic convention last year, Khan held up a pocket-sized constitution and said Trump had sacrificed “nothing.”
Since then, Khan has become a public face against Trump’s immigration policies.
“There comes a time in an ordinary citizen’s life where you have to gather all the courage you have and you stand up and speak against tyranny and speak against un-American hate,” Khan said in October.
On Monday, The US President unveiled a revised travel ban that temporarily halts entry to the US for people from six Muslim-majority nations and suspends the country’s refugee program.