An Introduction to Rahman

Rahman Aidi Mashhoof Al-Kaabi, now 23, is one of 10 children and the son of an auto mechanic who grew up in Baghdad, Iraq. Rahman was studying at a Baghdad university and working as a performance artist in 2006 when he was forced to leave his family and country abruptly. Caught in the sectarian violence of war torn Iraq, Rahman's theater troupe that had been entertaining war-traumatized children started receiving death threats. When two of his troupe members were killed one afternoon before a performance, Rahman realized his life was seriously in danger and fled to Syria.

    For the past two years, unable to work regularly or attend state university legally as a refugee in Syria, Rahman has been a student with the Iraqi Student Project (http://iraqistudentproject.org/) a grassroots, non-profit organization which provides a select group of college-aged Iraqi refugees intensive English courses in Damascus and a chance to continue their studies in the United States. This year, 14 students have just completed their first years with full-ride, tuition waivers to U.S. universities and colleges. With the economic downturn, it has proved especially difficult for four-year colleges to provide a full-ride space for ISP this year and that's why we started investigating the possibility of bringing Rahman to Monterey Peninsula College http://www.mpc.edu/ where we hope he will be to continue his studies this fall.

In the future, Rahman – a self described "people person" who can often be found giving impromptu performances to school children in the street or dancing on the soccer field – would like to return to Baghdad to teach at the Fine Arts College. "I would very much like to do something tremendous in my homeland," he writes. He also envisions himself creating an art project called "Living in peace and cut off the violence from Iraq's Body".

For now, Rahman is hoping to resume his university studies in Monterey this Fall.

"I'm really going to leave behind me lots of things and start life with in an entirely different country," he said. "That's why I really want your support."