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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On April 12^th and 13^th, the Asheville chapter of No More Victims held a fundraising weekend for Rusul. We were joined by Ann Cothran, National Community Coordinator, and Cole Miller, Founder and Director of No More Victims. Early Saturday morning, there was a guided meditation and a meditation walk in remembrance of Rusul. This was held at the Baha’i Center in Asheville.

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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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Asheville group has been busy promoting Rusul’s arrival and raising funds to cover the costs. We were invited to have a program on “No More Victims – Asheville” at Unitarian Universalist Church in Asheville on March 14, 2008. We showed the movie “Caught in the Crossfire” and then had Ann Cothran of Greenville speak to the group and talk about Rusul. About 35 people showed up for this event and we collected (or had pledged) about $350 in donations. The next day, we had a House Party, hosted by Jeanne and Lew Patrie. This was small in attendance, yet we still got over $360 in donations. A big THANK YOU to Jeanne and Lew for opening their home and their hearts to “No More Victims – Asheville”.

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Hailey and I have been working very hard, trying to balance school and other extracurriculars with this great project. Thankfully, with the support of our community and teamwork, we have been able to cover a lot of ground in the past months. We have been trying to raise community funds (which will go directly to No More Victims), sponsorship funds (to help cover our $2000+ operational concert costs at Rocketown), and awareness for the concert. We intend for all of the ticket sales from the concert to be sent to No More Victims.

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Young professionals have joined local design team, Studio-220, to spearhead a city-wide initiative to benefit the children of Iraq. Over the past two years, local press have followed the touching story of young Iraqi boy, Abdul Hakeem, who was severely injured when an American air-raid hit his home in Fallujah. In 2005, NMV learned of Abdul and began reaching out to local philanthropists and hospitals to fund his much needed medical support. In 2006, Abdul was brought to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to receive a prosthetic eye and reconstructive face surgery. He is now back in Pittsburgh to complete the final stage of his treatment.

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As the weather turned from damp to sun to pouring rain and hail — over and over throughout the day, Portlanders marched by the thousands to demand an end to this horrible war. We all remarked to one another how we couldn’t believe that we are still having to do this — 5 years later. There is such a feeling of sadness and grief for Iraq and the Iraqi people whose lives are being destroyed.

About 20 of us from our No More Victims project marched under our wonderful new banner, made by Bonnie. The image of children’s clothes made very vivid the tragic impact this and all war has on children. The back of the large banner says “No More Victims of this Tragic War”. All around the banner we walked carrying NoMoreVictims.org “signs” — printed on children’s clothing. It was a powerful image — many asked us about the project.

This evening we met and discussed our hopes that Mustafa and his father will soon be here to be healed. We feel that being part of his care is very healing for us, as well, and one more way to say, “Not in Our Name”.

Hoping for peace from Portland,
Maxine

“Project Nora” is now in full swing and moving along as planned. We were honored to have Cole Miller (Founder) and Ann Cothran (National Community Coordinator) here in the Portland area, this past week, to speak at several locations. Many thanks to all of you who were able to attend one of the speaking engagements which were graciously hosted by Bowdoin College, Kennebunk Rotary, Kennebunk Unitarian Church and Woodfords Congregational Church in Portland. The purpose of the speaking engagements was to educate the community on the mission of No More Victims and to stimulate the community’s involvement in “Project Nora”, which is vital to its success.

No More Victims first came to my attention a few years back, but it was in the summer of 2007 that I discovered that one of the children they are helping was in Greenville, SC - which is only 75 miles from my home town of Asheville. So, right then and there I decided to try and get this child, Salee, to come to Asheville for a visit.

My first step was contacting Ann Cothran, who founded the Upstate Coalition of Compassion to raise funds for Salee’s medical care at the Shriner’s in Greenville. I met up with her one sunny Sunday afternoon and we discussed possible events. The WNC Peace Coalition was already planning a vigil on the evening of September 19, 2007 to mark four and a half years of US occupation of Iraq, so we felt that having Salee and her father, Abu Ali, come to that event would be a good idea. We also decided on a potluck dinner and a presentation, and this was hosted by the First Congregational Church of Asheville. I have to add that several other churches in our area also volunteered to host this potluck - they were touched by the story and wanted to help. One Episcopalian priest told me that this was how we were going to heal the damage we have done in Iraq - by reaching out person to person.

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Wow! I’m still walking on air after this morning’s phone call. Dr. John Davids, Chief of Staff at Shriners Hospital in Greenville, called today to let me know that Salee’s little sister, Rusul, has been accepted for treatment! What a dream come true. I was on pins and needles worrying that, after helping to get the care for Salee to be able to walk again, her little sister would be left sitting at home, forever maimed. But, there is now hope for Rusul, too! What a blessing!

Rusul’s right leg was horribly mangled in the same US air strike of November 2006, that took the lives of her little brother and friend, and both legs of her big sister as they were outside of their homes, playing. To imagine children, innocently at play, being hit by missiles paid for by our tax dollars, is heart-wrenching. Can we even imagine how we’d feel (and react) if another nation’s bombs dropped from the sky onto our children? If we ran outside to find them scattered on the ground, blood-soaked and broken? No, we can’t imagine it, yet we’re inflicting this horror on the families of Iraq on a daily basis. The feeling that I, as an American, am somehow responsible for the loss of Salee’s legs, the death of her brother, and the maiming of precious little Rusul brings me such sorrow.
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