The Columbia University student activist, who is currently being held in a detention centre in Louisiana as he resists the Trump administration’s attempt to deport him, has shared his deep pain and sadness over missing the birth of his son.
In a letter published by The Guardian, Khalil writes to his newborn son, Deen, expressing heartbreak over not being there: “It hurts me that I couldn’t hold you, hear your first cry, open your little fists or change your first diaper.”
Khalil, a Palestinian, explains that his situation isn’t unusual.
“Just like many Palestinian fathers, I was kept away from you by racist systems and faraway prisons. In Palestine, this kind of pain is normal,” he says. “Every day, babies come into this world without their fathers—not because the fathers walked away, but because they are taken by war, airstrikes, prisons, or the harsh grip of occupation. What your mother and I feel is just a small piece of the heartbreak that countless Palestinian families have endured for generations.”
He goes on to say that he is being held in Louisiana for political reasons, due to his strong belief in the Palestinian struggle for freedom.
“One day, you might wonder why people suffer for standing with Palestine, or why truth and kindness seem to scare those in power. Those questions are tough, but I want our experience to teach you this: the world needs more bravery, not less. It needs people who will choose fairness over comfort.”
