By Anne Levin

When Khizr Khan spoke at an October 26 appearance by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy at the Arts Council of Princeton, it marked the 162nd time the Gold Star father has taken to the podium to promote social and economic justice.

The Muslim native of Pakistan, whose son Humayun Khan was killed in the Iraq War, gained attention after he and his wife spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last year. With Republican candidate Kim Guadagno’s recent promise to ban sanctuary cities in New Jersey if she is elected November 7, Khan’s message of inclusion was especially well received by the standing-room-only crowd gathered in the Solley Theater.

“You will be casting a vote to strengthen the democratic process, your democratic way of life, to show to the rest of the nation that this is the right way to support democracy and live in a democracy,” he said. “This is the added burden on all of us, especially New Jersey, because you have been chosen to lead this charge in this election.”

New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states holding gubernatorial elections this year.

Murphy said that Khan “exemplifies the ideals and values that we’ve built our campaign on — fairness and inclusion, hard work, and, ultimately, of sacrifice.”

New Jersey has the second highest Muslim population in the country; three times as many Muslim adults per capita as the national average, Murphy continued. “When you run for governor in New Jersey, you do so with your eyes wide open,” he said. “You do that with an understanding that New Jersey stands proudly as the most diverse state in the nation. We wear our diversity as a badge of honor. If you’re not prepared to stand up on behalf of all nine million residents and not just for some, don’t bother running.”

Murphy is a former financial executive and served as the U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2013. Guadagno has served as lieutenant governor under Chris Christie since he was elected in 2010.

Khan immigrated to the United States in 1980 and is a graduate of Harvard Law School, as is Murphy. “Let’s vote to stop this madness, the divisiveness in this country,” Khan said. “I am amazed at the spirit of this nation,” he continued, adding that he has been fascinated by the Declaration of Independence since he was a student in Pakistan.

Referring to an incident in which President Trump was criticized over the nature of a condolence phone call he made to the widow of a serviceman killed in Niger on October 4, Murphy told the audience that Khan’s appearance with him was not a response to that situation. It was planned “many, many weeks ago and was not in reaction to anything that has happened over the past couple of weeks,” he said.

A member of the audience asked Khan if he really felt he could change the minds of those in favor of Trump’s policies on immigration. Khan responded that he recently spoke at an event in Des Moines, in which half of the hall was filled “with those who voted not for your (Democratic) candidate and had buyer’s remorse,” he said. “I humbly respected their courage to stand up,” he continued, and urged them to speak to their legislators.