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Lexington residents assist Iraqi father and son

Posted March 19, 2008 11:00 pm

Ian B. Murphy

Omar and Sabah Mahmood have made two unforgettable trips in the last two years. One was from Mosul to Baghdad in January 2006. The second was from Iraq to the United States, by way of Jordan, in March 2007.

During the first there was an accident. U.S. soldiers fired at the van carrying Omar, Sabah and their family. The van exploded, killing five people, including Sabah's wife. Sabah, who had been shot four times during the encounter, was able to pull Omar and his brother, Ali, from the burning wreckage and save their lives.

Omar sustained horrible burns on the right side of his scalp and face up to his ear. His right arm and hand were severely burned, and he lost his thumb and index finger. His left hand was also burned badly, essentially melding his left thumb to his palm.

He was treated at an American military hospital for four months, then released. Sabah searched frantically for another facility where Omar could receive the extensive plastic surgery he needed to treat his injures, but could not find one in Iraq. While searching in Jordan for a hospital, Sabah met a woman who said she could help. She could bring Omar and Sabah to America for treatment, but Ali would have to stay in Iraq with his uncles.

Sabah said yes.

That was the Mahmoods' first experience with No More Victims, a non-profit that finds medical scholarships for war-injured Iraqi children and their families, according to the organization's Web site.

Their next experience was when Cole Miller, the organization's founder, personally came to the Jordanian border to ensure they could enter the country, and eventually board a plane to America.

Now Sabah and Omar, 5, live in Boston at the Devon Nicole House at Children's Hospital, where Omar receives weekly medical treatment and psychiatric help. Sen. Edward Kennedy's office managed to secure their visas. No More Victims pays their extensive medical bills, and is helping Sabah to learn English and put Omar in school. No More Victims has also provided them with a computer, which neither had used before.

The transition hasn't been easy. Sabah has his own injuries from the accident, making it difficult to find work. In Iraq he was a welder and ran a family-owned blacksmith shop. While he is incredibly thankful for the support from Children's Hospital and No More Victims, Sabah wants to start making money on his own.

He misses his other son, Ali, although they speak on the phone often. But Sabah does not want to go back to Iraq while the war is on, as he does not want to be involved in another accident. He described the situation in Iraq as "100 percent bad."

As for the last accident, Sabah said that he has no resentment toward Americans or the American military.

"It has happened and he can't undo it," said Akmed Hadidi, a translator for Sabah. "He's a faithful man; this has been destined by God."

Sabah said that he was surprised when he arrived in America to discover how kind and supportive Americans were, and thankful to God for their support.

On Saturday, March 29, the the Arlington/Lexington and Cambridge chapters of United for Justice with Peace are holding a fundraiser for Omar and Sabah at the Arlington Center for the Arts. The chapter also hopes to bring more children to Boston for medical treatment, and seek donations to make that possible.

"The sobering part about all this is that as effective and heartwarming as the response has been for Omar, is that there aren't 10,000 but [closer to] 100,000 of kids like him," said Paul Joseph, a Lexington resident. "The challenge is just enormous."

Joseph is a sociology professor at Tufts University, and the chairman of the Peace and Justice Studies program. It was he who arranged for the Mahmoods' computer. His colleagues responded by providing software and translation tools for the family.

"The approach about having American citizens to something tangible and concrete for victims of the war is something that I saw at the university in a fairly short time period," he said. "That's the heartening thing."

Joseph, whose wife Linda Schiffman is also a member of the Arlington/Lexington chapter of United for Justice with Peace, would like to see America's humanitarian efforts greatly expanded in Iraq, and for the violence to come to a halt. America's two recent wars in the country have greatly reduced the number of medical professionals there, and Joseph hopes that hospitals and other medical facilities can be built to help treat the hundreds of thousands of innocent victims of the war.

Joseph said that while No More Victims was committed to helping war-injured children, raising awareness of those sort of casualties was also vital to the group's efforts.

"War produces innocent victims, and it's important to think about those victims and call attention to them," he said.

Omar and Sabah are happy in America now, but they still have many family members in Iraq and worry for their safety. Sabah said he still seeks the same thing here as when he lived in Iraq.

"Peace is the ultimate end, and he hopes that happens as soon as possible around the globe," his translator said.

FUNDRAISER FOR OMAR AND SABAH

<span style="font-size: 9pt;">On Saturday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m., the Arlington/Lexington chapter and Cambridge chapter of United for Justice with Peace is holding a fundraiser concert for Omar and Sabah at the Arlington Center for the Arts, 41 Foster Road, including Chris Nauman and Vance Gilbert. </span>

<span style="font-size: 9pt;">Tickets can be purchased for $20 at Wood and Strings Music Store, For information on how to donate to No More Victims, or on the March 29 fundraiser, call Linda Schiffman at 781-863-8672.</span>

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