Based in the US, Mustafa holds a master's degree in criminal justice and doctoral degree in political science.
His research interests are civil conflict, interstate conflict, terrorism, civil-military relations and cybersecurity. His scholarly works appeared in peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed outlets in the US, such as Journal of Conflict Resolution, International interactions, Small Wars Journal, TheConversation.
Beyond his scholarly background, he also works as a cybersecurity analyst for corporate companies.