The Cultural Attaché of Bahrain spoke to MU students Thursday about the culture, history and education rights of Bahrain.

Mizzou Amnesty International, in collaboration with the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs, invited Aysha Murad to speak on education rights in Bahrain.

“We are pioneers in education, even for women,” Murad said. “Girls and boys have been going to school since the seventh century. In those days, Quranic school was the main source of education.”

American missionaries started the first formal school for boys in Bahrain in 1919 and for girls in 1928.

Murad said Bahrain realized early that education is the key to success.

“Bahrain is preparing its youth to compete in the global economy,” Murad said. “With this in mind, we are taking steps to ensure a world-class education system.”

Tasked with taking care of Bahraini students in the U.S and Canada, Murad takes her role very seriously.

“I have maternal feelings for all the students here,” Murad said.

Ranya Ahmed, a Bahraini graduate student who contacted Murad to speak, said all it took was a phone call to convince Murad to come speak to students at MU.

“She gives her cellphone number to any student who asks for it.,” Ahmed said. “She really is like our own mother here. She takes care of us, feeds us, drives us around and even makes sure we have enough money.”

In addition to being a point of contact for Bahraini students, Murad works to promote cultural education of Bahrain to American people.

“I am here to engage with the U.S. public and enhance American-Bahraini cultural relations, share experiences and introduce culture,” Murad said.

Graduate student Daniella Bolanos said Murad provides a real-world view of the education and human rights issues that Bolanos has learned about in class.

“She knows what the situation is like, not just in Bahrain but other Middle Eastern countries as well,” Bolanos said. “It’s very interesting to listen to her talk.”

Murad visits many universities around the U.S. to talk about culture and education, sometimes both. However, she encourages people to form their own opinions.

“Do not just listen to me,” Murad said. “Talk to other people. I encourage people to use their reason and judgement and make their own opinions.”

Murad said she has a high regard for the values and opportunities America presents to not just its citizens but the international students as well and is proud to advocate the high education standards of Bahrain for both men and women.

“In the 1950s, women were sent to study in the American university in Beirut for the first time,” Murad said. “People were then sent to Syria, Egypt and Iran to study at American universities.”

Women continued to make progress in society, which was represented in the country’s new constitution formed in 1971 following the country’s independence from the British.

“Young women were seen driving cars, discarding their abayas and wearing modern clothes,” Murad said. “In the 1990s, many women got scholarships introduced by the Crown Prince to study in the best universities around the world.”

To conclude her remarks, Murad asked students to read more about different cultures in the Middle East.

“As scholars, you need to read about other cultures in the Middle East,” Murad said. “You will know there is no substitution for empirical observation.”

As a student who attended the talk without knowing anything about the country, junior Joshua Foley felt Murad did a good job of educating students about the history, current issues and dreams of Bahrain.

“The reason why I believe this to be true is because of her plea to do our own research, gain our own knowledge and seek information from many perspectives,” Foley said.