[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 538 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 538

   Recognizing Mukhtar Mai for her courage and her humanitarian work.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2007

  Mr. Meeks of New York submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing Mukhtar Mai for her courage and her humanitarian work.

Whereas Mukhtar Mai is a Pakistani woman from the village of Meerwala, in the 
        rural county of Jatoi of the Muzaffargarh District of Pakistan;
Whereas Mukhtar Mai's brother, Shakoor, was suspected and accused of being seen 
        in the company of a Mastoi woman and was accused of engaging in sexually 
        inappropriate behavior with her;
Whereas the village council suggested that Shakoor marry the girl he was seen 
        with and Mukhtar Mai, a divorcee, be married to a Mastoi man;
Whereas the Mastois reportedly rejected the deal, insisting the issue be settled 
        with the eye-for-an-eye principle;
Whereas Mukhtar Mai was called to the council to apologize for her brother's 
        conduct;
Whereas when Mukhtar Mai appeared before the council she was taken by force and 
        gang raped by 4 men;
Whereas Mukhtar Mai, an illiterate woman, courageously took her case to court 
        where the 4 defendants were found guilty;
Whereas Mukhtar Mai took the settlement money provided by the government 
        following her court case and opened 2 schools in her village--one for 
        boys and one for girls, as well as a center for refuge and education 
        known as the Mukhtar Mai Women's Welfare Organization;
Whereas on August 2, 2005, the Pakistani Government awarded Mukhtar Mai the 
        Fatima Jinnah gold medal for bravery and courage;
Whereas on November 2, 2005, Glamour Magazine named Mukhtar Mai its ``Glamour 
        Woman of the Year'';
Whereas on October 31, 2006, Mukhtar Mai's memoir was released in the United 
        States, titled ``In the Name of Honor: A Memoir'';
Whereas in March 2007, Mukhtar Mai won the North-South Prize from the European 
        Union Council of Europe; and
Whereas Mukhtar Mai continues to campaign for women's rights and the promotion 
        of education around the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes Mukhtar Mai for her courage to fight for 
        justice; and
            (2) recognizes Mukhtar Mai for promoting education and 
        being a champion of women's rights.
                                 <all>