By Nahla Sturm

I want to help children in Iraq have a better life. I have met an Iraqi boy named Mustafa because an organization brought him here after he was deafened in Iraq by “our” American missiles. It was arranged for him to receive a cochlear implant in his right ear.

I have interacted with three year old Mustafa before and after he got his implant. I have helped out by playing with him; this is an important role to play in a child’s life (especially for young Mustafa). Children need attention from other children because they are different from grownups. We have different ways of being and help each other understand more about life.

I think differently about Iraq because of meeting Mustafa. I believe other people need the experience of meeting people from different cultures which enables them to see that their lives are as important as ours. Being with Mustafa has meant a lot to me. It feels special to help him; I am trying to make up for what America did. I would like to think more about my surroundings, Mustafa is very aware of his, especially because he can’t hear. He is also a curious boy.

This experience has made me aware of others in need of care that have been impacted by hurtful things. Being with Mustafa has encouraged me to expand my empathy and compassion for others.

by Ilona Sturm

Last night, at a Ruth Group/No More Victims event at the Sausalito Yacht Club, Mustafa’s father Ghazwan was given the opportunity to tell his story. The wonderful thing about NMV, and specifically our project to bring Mustafa here is that it has made the injuries the US has inflicted in Iraq more real for people like me. Mustafa and Ghazwan are the first and only Iraqis I have even met whom have suffered from the war. Before them, the casualties of all sorts were abstractions. Even before last night, those of us caring for Mustafa since his arrival, had not yet heard the full story of suffering his father and mother have been through since the missile attack deafened their son.

Ghazwan told an emotional story of the displacement and uncertainty of his family’s life, and being forced to leave Baghdad for the city of Baquba. He spoke of the day Mustafa’s hearing was devastated and the three other neighbors who were killed. He also told the story of a pregnant woman, who after the US attack lost her mind after losing the baby she had spent so many years trying to conceive. He told us of trying fruitlessly to get help for Mustafa and what it was like to experience his son’s chaotic and anguished behavior after going deaf.

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How we follow the news in America depends very much on how vivid our imaginations are, or how vivid we allow them to be. As an artist, I let mine often have free reign, so when I heard the horrific story on “Democracy Now” about what happened to young Salee by the American forces in Iraq, my response was visceral.

Over a year later, I helped No More Victims bring three year old Mustafa to San Francisco to have surgery. He had been completely deafened by a US missile strike next door to where he was living.

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Dear Friends - Today was absolutely incredible. The UCSF audiologist hooked up the cochlear implant device to Mustafa to very briefly test it at a very low frequency. She did not know if he would respond at all. The device was also attached to the computer to read the response of the device.

We all waited anxiously.  He was busy playing with small toys. And then… he just stopped and his eyes looked another direction. I think our hearts stopped for that second of time. Here are two photos from the office where he was tested… a very small space. And I’ve written a very short poem about the moment. It was truly, utterly amazing. No words or photos can adequately capture that moment.

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Mustafa is a different boy than what we think of when we think of a boy. Mustafa has been deafened by US missiles in Iraq that hit the house next door to him (and were very loud.) Not being able to hear is very challenging because of communication, but Mustafa uses facial expressions, and gestures to get his point across. Not hearing for Mustafa means not being able to talk. Mustafa still makes noises, but he just can’t hear them.

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I flew to San Francisco to be there for the arrival of Mustafa Ghazwan, his father, Ghazwan al-Nidawi, and Cole, as they flew in from Jordan on December 31st, 2008.  A very excited group of local volunteers from the NMV Bay Area chapter, and a crowd of print, radio and television reporters were also on hand to greet Mustafa and his father.  Lead local organizers Amy Skewes-Cox and Ruth Friend of the Ruth Group, as well as Dr. Daniel Lowenstein of the Iraq Action Group, Ilona Sturm of the Bay Area NMV chapter, and many other friendly faces who’d worked so hard to make this happen also waited anxiously for the plane to land.

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The Bay Area Project of NMV to bring 2-year-old Mustafa Ghazwan here for medical treatment is really underway. Doctors at UCSF have agreed to provide the surgery to implant a cochlear device so that Mustafa’s hearing can be restored. He lost all hearing due to a U.S. bomb explosion near his home. In addition to the pro bono services offered by the surgeon and the anesthesiologist, the UCSF doctors have contacted the manufacturer of the cochlear implant, and this company has offered to provide this $27,000 device at no cost. Ronald McDonald House in San Francisco has agreed to provide housing for Mustafa and his father during their expected 4-5 month stay, which may begin as early as July 2008.

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Ruth Group volunteers spent last Saturday addressing and stamping letters to friends and family in an appeal to raise $20,000 for medical treatment for 2-year-old Mustafa. Through the organization No More Victims, we will be sponsoring Mustafa here in the Bay Area for medical treatment. Mustafa’s hearing was completely lost when a US bomb dropped near his home in Iraq. His world is completely silent now. He has been tested by the local medical community in Syria and seems to be a perfect candidate for a cochlear implant. Following the operation he will need months of speech therapy and observation before returning home.

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A blog has been created for the Bay Area NMV chapter. More coming soon!