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Jajo Matti came to the USA in September of 2012. He is A Christian from Mosul, He worked as manager of the gardens at Al Mosul University. Before the war he and his family lived peacefully with Muslims. He thought that after the US invaded that Mosul would become like any American city. However, after the US invasion he says Iraqi people were not valued. His family was threatened by Al Qaeda who he says were not Iraqis, but people from outside who would come to his work and threaten him because he was not Muslim. He had been saving his money from his job, and finally sold everything they had and fled to Turkey. But, he was not allowed to work and they spent everything they had there. One of his son’s was able to come to the U.S. because he worked for the Americans at a military cafeteria, and another son went to Holland. His brother-in-law was beheaded in Mosul by militia. He told us the story of a kindergarten being bombed in their town. He says it was a horrific scene with children with limbs torn off and eyes gone. It happened 3 times and after one of the incidents CD’s were sent to show who was responsible with pictures of the children. These were also put on the Internet. This remains in Jajo’s and his families nightmares. Jajo’s main thoughts are of what will happen to them now. They have 8 months to receive cash benefits, and they have gray hair and wonder if anyone will hire them. He is afraid they will be homeless soon. We asked him about his family in Iraq, but he is afraid to talk about them for fear they will be targeted for talking to Americans. This story is an example of how some Iraqis thought the war would bring Democracy to their country but instead were brutalized and had to leave everything behind.

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