Khizr Khan, whose speech at the Democratic National Convention about his slain son has garnered admiration from Democrats and some Republicans, but ire from Donald Trump, says the candidate needs to have "patience and tolerance for criticism."
"Him and I have [the] same equal rights. In his eyes, he thinks that he can criticize people but no one else can criticize," Khan told PBS NewsHour host Judy Woodruff. "That is not the value of this country."
Trump had criticized Khan's speech and subsequent TV appearances via Twitter, but later followed up saying that "story is not about Mr. Khan ... but rather RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM and the U.S. Get smart!"
"We're in the political process of the greatest democracy on the planet Earth," Khan said on PBS NewsHour, adding that criticism of a presidential candidate's policies is "part of the political process."
"I'm exercising my rights for freedom of speech," Khan said.
Khan added that he pulled out a copy of the Constitution from his pocket during his convention speech, in part, to "show [Trump] that we are all equal under the eyes of our creator and this country."
In fact, Khan said, he keeps a stack of pocket-sized Constitutions at his home to give to guests and to strike up conversation.
Ghazala Khan, mother of the slain soldier Capt. Humayun Khan, also had a message for Trump, who has proposed banning Muslim immigration from countries with a record of terrorism: "I think he doesn't know Islam. I actually don't want to talk about him — it's in my eyes the people who know Islam, they won't say these things."
"The meaning of Islam is peace and love," she said.
Khizr Khan also described how he came to speak at the Democratic convention and revealed that his wife, who was criticized by Trump for not speaking onstage, helped him edit his speech.
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