The family of a fallen American Sikh soldier says they are hurt by Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump’s treatment of the parents of late Army Captain Humayun Khan.
The father and sister of Marine Corporal Gurpreet Singh who died in Afghanistan five years ago, has spent much of the past week watching the immigrant parents of the late captain spar with Trump.
“It hurts. I don’t know why. It’s like they’re playing political games with a Gold Star family,” says 55-year-old Nirmal Singh.
Many military families around the country have been surprised by Trump’s criticism of the parents of the late Army Capt. Humayun Khan after they endorsed Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and castigated Trump at the Democratic National.
“Am I not allowed to respond? Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me,” Trump wrote on Twitter about the Khans earlier this week after implying that the soldier’s mother did not speak out at the convention because of her Muslim faith.
Nirmal Singh noted that he’s often met other immigrants when he gets in touch with Marines. Among the Central Valley’s Iraq and Afghanistan casualties, fallen troops hail from Cambodia, Colombia, Laos, Mexico and Vietnam
“Religion does not matter. They love their country. That’s why they go and they should be respected,” Singh said.
Corporal Singh’s sister Manpreet said her own mother would perhaps stand silent at the mention of her late brother, like Capt Humayun’s mother did. She said it was insulting to talk about her the way Trump did.
Nirmal Singh (R), father of Late Corporal Gurpreet Singh, and Manpreet Kaur (L), sister. Source: The Sacramento Bee
“When (Trump) said something about (Capt. Khan’s) mother, that insulted my mother,” said Cpl. Singh’s 28-year-old sister, Manpreet Kaur.
It hurts. I don’t know why. It’s like they’re playing political games with a Gold Star family.
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The Singhs believe Trump should apologise to the Khans.
They said they’ve always felt welcome among the Marines and other military families they’ve met over the years.
At a 2013 ceremony, the Marines posthumously awarded Cpl. Singh a Bronze Star for the valour he showed on combat patrols in the last two weeks of his life. The Singhs were touched that members of his unit took the time to learn about their Sikh heritage and paid tribute to their culture in the medal ceremony.
