Amid Donald Trump’s new Muslim ban, Khizr Khan informed he’s not allowed to travel
Donald Trump signed his revised Muslim travel ban executive order today, shortly thereafter, Gold Star father Khizr Khan was told he couldn’t travel to Canada to deliver a planned speech at a conference because his “travel privileges are being reviewed.” Khan has been a United States citizen for the past thirty years, and recently an outspoken critic of Trump’s racist views. However he immigrated from Pakistan, which is not included in the ban.
The breaking news about Khizr Khan is coming out of Canada right now, with the Ramsay Talks conference having posted the following to its official Facebook page:
“Late Sunday evening Khizr Khan, an American citizen for over 30 years, was notified that his travel privileges are being reviewed. 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. Guests will be given full refunds. Mr. Khan offered his sincere apologies to all those who made plans to attend on March 7th. He said: ‘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. 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.”
Canadian broadcast news channel CBC is backing up the story by tweeting a news alert reading “Gold Star dad who chided Trump’s Muslim ban cancels Cda visit due to ‘travel review.’ Khizr Khan not told why.” CBC reporter John Paul Tasker has tweeted that “Khizr Khan, the Gold Star dad, was scheduled to be on @TheCurrentCBC tomorrow while in T.O., now ‘travel privileges are being reviewed.'”
Khan himself hasn’t yet made any direct public statement. It’s difficult to parse the odds of this incident not being related to signing of Trump’s new Muslim travel ban just hours earlier, and yet it’s also difficult to conclude how the ban could have affected a Pakistani immigrant, as that’s not one of the six named nations. This is story is obviously still developing.
