[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 477 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 477

 Calling for the safe and immediate return of Noor and Ramsay Bower to 
                           the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2012

 Mr. Kerry (for himself and Mr. Brown of Massachusetts) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling for the safe and immediate return of Noor and Ramsay Bower to 
                           the United States.

Whereas Colin Bower's 2 young sons, Noor and Ramsay Bower, were illegally 
        abducted from the United States by their mother in August 2009 and taken 
        to Egypt;
Whereas Noor William Noble Bower, age 11, and Ramsay Maclean Bower, age 9, are 
        citizens of the United States of America;
Whereas, on December 1, 2008, prior to the abduction of Noor and Ramsay, the 
        Probate and Family Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded 
        sole legal custody of Noor and Ramsay to Colin Bower, and joint physical 
        custody with Mirvat el Nady, which ruling stipulated Mirvat el Nady was 
        not to remove Noor and Ramsay from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
Whereas, in August of 2009, following a violation of the Probate Court's ruling, 
        the Massachusetts Trial Court granted sole physical custody of Noor and 
        Ramsay to their father, Colin Bower;
Whereas Colin Bower has been granted only 4 visitations with his sons in the 
        almost 3 years since the abduction;
Whereas the United States has expressed its commitment, through the Hague 
        Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, done 
        at the Hague October 25, 1980, ``to protect children internationally 
        from the harmful effects of their wrongful removal or retention and to 
        establish procedures to ensure their prompt return to the State of their 
        habitual residence''; and
Whereas the United States and 69 other countries that are partners to the Hague 
        Convention on the Civil Aspects of international Child Abduction have 
        agreed, and encourage all other countries to concur, that the 
        appropriate court for determining the best interests of children in 
        custody matters is the court in the country of their habitual residence: 
        Now therefore be it
    Resolved, That the Senate calls on government officials and 
competent courts in Egypt to assist in the safe and immediate return of 
Noor and Ramsay Bower to the United States.
                                 <all>