By Ahmed Tauseef
Bassam Ahmed, a 26-years-old Iraqi welcomes you with a toothy smile, a symbol of affectionate gesture of Iraqi hospitality, as you knock the door of his apartment in one of the residential areas of the city.
A trickle of Iraqis pursuing their academic careers in the colleges and university of Aurangabad city is an indicator that how the invasion of a country could be more devastating than the tyranny of single dictator. As Bassam admits, he preferred this city in search of peace as well.
"I don't like presence of American soldiers on the streets of my country, they are trouble makers", says Bassam who is doing his masters in fine art from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. Bassam, who lives in the city of Babylon in Iraq, finds no comparison to peace and communal harmony of the city. Hailing from a country worn to shreds due to sectarian violence and skirmishes between foreign peacekeepers and local war lords, this Iraqi young man is duly impressed by the similarities in the lifestyle of different communities living in the city.
Although the education system of Iraq does not charge a single penny as fee right from the standard 1 to doctorate, Bassam and other Iraqis are shelling out money to earn degrees here. The reason is safety of life which interim Iraqi government or presence of Americans could not assure at least at this juncture of time. Admits Bassam that many times he was missed by a stray bullet by hair's breadth in Fallujah.
Mohsin Al-Shammari, a PhD in the field of engineering from the university of Baghdad and also a teacher there, found the equipments he needed to experiment in Aurangabad. Al Shammari, who is in the town for experimenting his projcet, never fails to contact his family back home Baghdad through Internet. Though the part of Baghdad where his family lives is not troubled, but still there is an element of worry as his country is now going through its toughest time ever where life has lost its meaning.
Like his friends, Mohsin does not endorse the presence of America in every nook and corner of Iraq.
He says more than five Iraqi families are living in the city for the purpose of education. Some of them even have women and children with them, says he.
As the discussion about politics and culture goes on in Bassam's apartment a tall and lean Osama chips in. Osama, an Iraqi as well, is pursuing his masters in law at one of city's law college. These new faces of Iraq are however nostalgic about their base. They want to utilize their skills and education in rebuilding a stable and prosperous Iraq free from the presence of foreign faces. No matter they learn those skills and polish them either in a small city Aurangabad or world's one of the oldest city for learning---- Baghdad.
Bassam Ahmed, a 26-years-old Iraqi welcomes you with a toothy smile, a symbol of affectionate gesture of Iraqi hospitality, as you knock the door of his apartment in one of the residential areas of the city.
A trickle of Iraqis pursuing their academic careers in the colleges and university of Aurangabad city is an indicator that how the invasion of a country could be more devastating than the tyranny of single dictator. As Bassam admits, he preferred this city in search of peace as well.
"I don't like presence of American soldiers on the streets of my country, they are trouble makers", says Bassam who is doing his masters in fine art from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University. Bassam, who lives in the city of Babylon in Iraq, finds no comparison to peace and communal harmony of the city. Hailing from a country worn to shreds due to sectarian violence and skirmishes between foreign peacekeepers and local war lords, this Iraqi young man is duly impressed by the similarities in the lifestyle of different communities living in the city.
Although the education system of Iraq does not charge a single penny as fee right from the standard 1 to doctorate, Bassam and other Iraqis are shelling out money to earn degrees here. The reason is safety of life which interim Iraqi government or presence of Americans could not assure at least at this juncture of time. Admits Bassam that many times he was missed by a stray bullet by hair's breadth in Fallujah.
Mohsin Al-Shammari, a PhD in the field of engineering from the university of Baghdad and also a teacher there, found the equipments he needed to experiment in Aurangabad. Al Shammari, who is in the town for experimenting his projcet, never fails to contact his family back home Baghdad through Internet. Though the part of Baghdad where his family lives is not troubled, but still there is an element of worry as his country is now going through its toughest time ever where life has lost its meaning.
Like his friends, Mohsin does not endorse the presence of America in every nook and corner of Iraq.
He says more than five Iraqi families are living in the city for the purpose of education. Some of them even have women and children with them, says he.
As the discussion about politics and culture goes on in Bassam's apartment a tall and lean Osama chips in. Osama, an Iraqi as well, is pursuing his masters in law at one of city's law college. These new faces of Iraq are however nostalgic about their base. They want to utilize their skills and education in rebuilding a stable and prosperous Iraq free from the presence of foreign faces. No matter they learn those skills and polish them either in a small city Aurangabad or world's one of the oldest city for learning---- Baghdad.
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