Whereas, the City of Portland has a tradition of promoting peace, supporting reconciliation and honoring the greatness of

 the world’s people that touch the hearts and souls of Portland; and

Whereas, when his first child was born six years ago in Fallujah, Iraq, Ahmed Abed Mohammed dreamed of watching his

son grow up healthy, play soccer with other children and walk to school with friends; and

Whereas, two years later, shrapnel from a U.S. missile tore into Mustafa Abed’s young body, severing a leg, tearing up his

abdomen and shattering his and his parents’ dreams; and

Whereas, after doctors in Fallujah, working against incredible odds, saved Mustafa’s life, they cautioned his parents, “Your

son came through the surgery, but we can’t promise he’ll be alive five minutes from now”; and

Whereas, four years later on September 9^th, 2008, this courageous little survivor arrived in Portland in his father’s arms

through a program called No More Victims, a grassroots organization connecting child victims of the Iraq War with communities in the U.S. that pledge to do whatever they can to support the child; and

Whereas, Mustafa has received outstanding care at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Shriners’ Hospital, and as a result

for the first time in four years he is pain-free and healthier than he has been at any time since the attack that injured him; and

Whereas, this beautiful little six year old boy brings home to all of us just how devastating the human cost of this war truly

is; and

Whereas, the treatment and support and love Mustafa has received in Portland have gone a long way to rebuild some of the

shattered dreams of a sweet and wonderful child; and

Whereas, people in Portland who have had the privilege of getting to know Mustafa and his father Ahmed have been forever

touched by their courage, warmth and yearnings for peace; and

Whereas, these newfound friendships have nurtured precious seeds of reconciliation and understanding that stretch from Portland to Fallujah with powerful impacts on people in both communities; and

Whereas, we as a community are humbled by the lessons they courageously teach us: that a parent’s love will take them on

a difficult journey half way around the world in search of treatment, that the victims of this and every war are really our sisters and brothers and that building bridges of peace in our troubled world is our highest calling,

Now, therefore, I, Tom Potter, Mayor of the City of Portland, the “City of Roses”, do hereby declare

November 19, 2008 as an official

Day of Recognition for Mustafa Abed

  in Portland and encourage all residents to observe this day.

It is our fervent hope that when they return to their family and friends in Iraq, Mustafa and Ahmed will know that the City of Portland is committed to doing everything it can to promote and build a much more just and peaceful world.