Trouble in Dubai Airport

Where do I began?  I would really like to tell you about the place where I live, Carmel, It’s a beautiful and gorgeous town in California,  Every thing here is green and clean. Two days ago, I went to the ocean with friends, I stood up in the hills and watched the view, Something reminded me of the days when we where in Latakia. I stood on the sand and i did something amazing: I drew a heart on the sand, inside it, I wrote "ISP Third challenger has arrived to the state".

Do you know What is the first food I had in Carmel? Guess! It’s a hamburger, it was really Yummy! I ate it in a restaurant down town. David,Kalyany and I had a great time hanging out in Monterey and Carmel, On our way to my college we got lost, Problem!  We had to ask people there in order to know the right way, We asked a guy who was walking on the sidewalk, He had no idea where MPC college was..And we decided to look for another person to  help up the next street. We found two girls who standing in the street. Davide asked theme if the have an idea to lead us to MPC. The two girls who stood close to my window and started to give us instruction, The funny thing was that on of the girls was really loud. .The way  she  talked to us was unbelievable. I imagined them like a big train passing by me.

Finally, we reached the college. I saw the theatre and I met American artists practicing on the stage..

I have a good story about somthing bad happened to me when I was in the hotel in Dubai .Yes, first I have never been in such a fascinating hotel like in Dubai in my whole life. When I entered to the room, I went crazy about the scenery. I seen this only in movies. Later, I put everything inside and went to use the internet; I took  the door key with me. I talked with people and so on,then, I went back  that's when the problem started, I couldn’t find my room. I  couldn’t even remember what the number was? I got paniced and didn't  know what I had to do. So, I had to go to the information desk to ask for some help. I asked the guy where  my room is. "Sorry", he said. I asked again; "listen! I have a disaster here. I must catch my flight in the next 30 minutes and I have no idea where my room number is.

He told me," no problem sir. do you have the card #?". I told him" No, I have just the door key". He asked again". What do you have? You must have the card number for your room". I told him" No way sir! The only thing that I have is this door key". I realized that I was  in such big trouble.Then,

We decided to look for  my room over and over.  Time was running out. My worrying  reached at peak. I had just 15 minutes until  boarding and I don't even  know where my room is in the hotel.



Guess what I did? I went to each single room to find out who was inside .So, amazingly, after a hard fight with visitors, I found my lovely room .I took my luggage and ran to catch my flight. In that time and while I’m boarding, I forgot to give back the door key, so when I was in line to cross the security check, I heard my name on the speakers. People in the hotel called my name; they wanted me to go back to the hotel to give them the door key. I couldn’t go back because if I had, I wouldn’t be in the flight. I would miss my flight. I pretended that I didn’t hear it and jumped to my flight right way, LUCKILY. Ohhh I still have the door key.

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Iraq's people were among the first to learn irrigation, to invent the writing of sounds that is key to our own alphabets, to create a legal system that is the foundation of modern law. During the early Islamic centuries Iraq was a center where ancient learning was translated and preserved, where poetry and music and medicine flourished. In modern times, Iraqis built a thriving system of higher education and sent thousands of students to study all over the world, returning to teach and work in Iraq. Western institutions of higher learning benefit from the contributions to scholarship and human development that have taken place across the centuries in Iraq.

But as a result of the six years of war that have ravaged the country, Iraq's educational system is now in ruins. Students in Iraq are without teachers, without books and computers, without university structures. And years are going by. Those who have taken refuge in Syria and Jordan (estimated at more than 2.2 million Iraqis by summer of 2007) are often unable to avail themselves of the higher education of those countries. Only a few succeed in being resettled elsewhere.

One student in this situation is 23-year-old Rahman Aidi Mashhoof Al-Kaabi. Rahman was studying theater at a university in Baghdad and working as a performance artist with a theater troupe in 2006 when his troupe started receiving death threats. When two troupe members were killed, Rahman and two other troupe members fled to Syria where he has lived since, away from his family and friends.

In Syria, Rahman has used his performance talent to entertain other refugees, waiting in long lines at the UN High Commisioner of Refugees, but he has otherwise been unable to continue his university studies, nor work regularly. For the past two years, he has been a student with the Iraqi Student Project, a grassroots, non-profit organization which provides a select group of college-aged refugees with intensive English courses in Damascus and a chance to continue their studies in the US with the support of full-ride tuition waivers and community support groups.

With the economic downturn this year, it has proved especially difficult for four-year colleges to provide spaces for ISP students. That's why we started investigating the possibility of bringing Rahman to Monterey Peninsula College where we hope he will continue his studies this fall. My family has offered Rahman room and board at our home in Carmel and now we are trying to raise funds for his first year's tuition, books and minimal living expenses which will total approximately $8,000. Similarly, we are also reaching out to build a support group for Rahman once he arrives to help provide non-financial support like inviting him to your house for home-cooked meals, introducing him to your organization, school or team and generally welcoming him to our community.

Could you and a neighbor offer some support for Rahman's course fees? Could you tell your church, synagogue, mosque, team or office about the project, email the link this page to a friend, or offer help with fundraising? Or would you like to be part of Rahman's support group? While these are undoubtedly tough economic times, even a small amount or a quick mention to a friend can be helfup in making an immediate and lasting impact on Rahman's life.

"Many people from the whole world think Iraq is just a field of war whereas other people believe that Iraq is a brilliant world among others," Rahman wrote recently to an American penpal. "In fact, Iraq has had a difficult situation since 1990 [when the Gulf War began] until 2003. It's true that Iraq has a great history of fighting wars with other countries, but inside Iraq, there is a beautiful life with tradition, science, beautiful nature and friendship . . . we have the will now to write a new history of Iraq by our hands, history of peace, life and love."

All donations are tax-exempt, and you will receive a letter from ISP for tax purposes. And anyone interested in helping or joining Rahman's support group is welcome and can send an email to daniaakkad@gmail.com.

AT A GLANCE: THE IRAQI STUDENT PROJECT

What is ISP?

The Iraqi Student Project (ISP) is a grass-roots effort to help young people who have studied in Iraq acquire the education they need to participate in rebuilding their country. While living in Damascus in 2007 to learn Arabic, two American retirees, Gabe Huck and Theresa Kubasak, started meeting young Iraqi who had been forced to leave their college studies after the war started. In Syria, the students could not afford to continue their education. The idea of ISP began to develop. By summer of that year, Gabe and Theresa had learned of the Bosnian Student Project of the mid-1990s, a project which helped more than 160 students escape from the Bosnian and Kosovar war zones and continue their educations in the US. This served as a model for ISP.

Who runs and funds ISP? ISP is a registered 501(c)(3), non-profit, governed by a small, seven-member board of directors with two staff members in the US. The organization is funded by individual donations, partnerships with churches, mosques, synagogues, community organizations, on-campus organizations, peace groups and others. Gabe and Theresa, who are unpaid and still based in Damascus, run an intensive English study program that is taught by volunteers, to prepare students for college in the US.

Where will my money go? Your tax-exempt donation will go directly toward paying for Rahman’s travel, MPC tuition, books, materials and minimal daily expenses. Deposited and administered locally, none of your donation will be used for any other purpose within ISP other than Rahman’s studies in Monterey.

What is ISP’s mission? ISP seeks to make undergraduate education possible for qualified students who were studying in Iraq, are unable to continue their education because of the violence, and intend to return and contribute to the rebuilding of Iraq. These students are recommended for study without regard to gender, nationality, religion or ethnicity.

What has ISP done so far?

This past year, 14 Iraqi students finished their first years at U.S. colleges. This coming year, more than 20 more students are also expected to begin their studies in the US.

Where can I find more information?
Please see http://iraqistudentproject.org/ or contact Dania Akkad at daniaakkad@gmail.com.

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."