[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 711 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 711

 Condemning the tragic and senseless death by stoning of a 13-year-old 
                           girl from Somalia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 20, 2008

Ms. Collins (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. 
 Stabenow, and Mrs. Clinton) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the tragic and senseless death by stoning of a 13-year-old 
                           girl from Somalia.

Whereas a child from Somalia, identified as Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, was raped by 
        3 men, and when her family reported the rape to authorities of the al-
        Shabaab militia that control the city of Kismayu, Somalia, she was 
        accused of adultery and ordered to be stoned;
Whereas, in October 2008, Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was stoned to death by 50 
        militant men before 1,000 witnesses in a public stadium;
Whereas al-Shabaab, some of whose members are affiliated with al Qaeda, is a 
        violent and brutal extremist group that has used intimidation and 
        committed human rights violations to undermine the Transitional Federal 
        Government of Somalia and threaten activists in civil society working to 
        bring about peace through political dialogue and reconciliation;
Whereas, on February 29, 2008, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice designated 
        al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 
        of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) and placed the 
        organization on the list of specially designated global terrorists 
        established under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and 
        initiated under Executive Order 13224;
Whereas the 2007 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Somalia, released 
        on March 11, 2007, by the Department of State, cited the ``poor human 
        rights situation'' in Somalia, including ``unlawful and politically 
        motivated killings, official impunity, and discrimination and violence 
        against women'';
Whereas stoning is a grave and serious violation of human rights law, in which 
        the victim is killed in an especially brutal way;
Whereas stoning is practiced particularly on girls and women accused of 
        adultery;
Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has 
        condemned the death of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow and called on the United 
        States Government to join other states in speaking out decisively in 
        international fora against such grave human rights abuses; and
Whereas the United States Government continues to support the efforts of those 
        working to transform the troubled region of Somalia through commitment 
        to sound human rights practices, democratic and representative 
        government, economic recovery, and lasting peace and reconciliation: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the tragic and senseless death by stoning of 
        Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow;
            (2) urges the international community to join the Senate in 
        speaking out against this brutal act; and
            (3) urges the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia--
                    (A) to undertake robust efforts to protect women 
                and children and to prevent acts of institutionalized 
                violence against women in Somalia;
                    (B) to work to strengthen the rule of law as part 
                of the effort by the Transitional Federal Government of 
                Somalia to establish its authority;
                    (C) to promote equal and fair treatment of women; 
                and
                    (D) to end the culture of impunity in Somalia.
                                 <all>