[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 229 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 229

    Recognizing the devastating attack on a girls' school in Kabul, 
Afghanistan, on May 8, 2021, and expressing solidarity with the Afghan 
                                people.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 24, 2021

  Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Ms. Collins) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the devastating attack on a girls' school in Kabul, 
Afghanistan, on May 8, 2021, and expressing solidarity with the Afghan 
                                people.

Whereas, on May 8, 2021, a car bomb and several other mechanisms were detonated 
        at the front gates of the Sayed Ul-Shuhada High School in Kabul, killing 
        more than 85 people, many of whom were girls attending the school;
Whereas the attack took place as the girls and their families prepared to 
        celebrate Eid al-Fitr;
Whereas the school provides education to the Dasht-e Barchi neighborhood, an 
        underserved area of Kabul where many members of the Hazara minority 
        community live;
Whereas the Hazara in Dasht-e Barchi have been the target of extremist violence 
        for many years;
Whereas, on March 12, 2020, assailants attacked a maternity hospital in Dasht-e 
        Barchi, killing 24 people including 2 newborn babies, mothers, and 
        members of the hospital staff;
Whereas 1 of those killed in the attack on the hospital was Maryam Noorzad--

    (1) who was a midwife serving the Hazara community;

    (2) who dedicated her life to providing access to healthcare to women 
in remote parts of Afghanistan;

    (3) who was murdered after refusing to leave the bedside of a patient 
in labor; and

    (4) whose bravery was recognized by the Department of State with an 
honorary International Women of Courage award;

Whereas Afghan girls were restricted from accessing an education under the 
        Taliban, forcing some girls to dress up as boys in order to attend 
        secret schools and continue their education;
Whereas, according to a report by the Office of the Director of National 
        Intelligence--

    (1) there are approximately 3,500,000 girls among the 9,000,000 
children who are enrolled in school in Afghanistan;

    (2) only 17 percent of girls in rural parts of Afghanistan attend 
school, while 45 percent of girls in urban areas in Afghanistan attend 
school;

    (3) 80 percent of Afghan women older than 15 years of age are 
illiterate; and

    (4) schools are increasingly being forced to close due to rising 
insecurity;

Whereas the education of girls is a necessary requirement for any country to 
        achieve long-term stability and peace;
Whereas the attack coincides with an escalation of violence in Afghanistan, 
        perpetrated by the Taliban, the Islamic State of Iraq, and the Levant 
        (ISIS) and other terrorist organizations; and
Whereas the recent escalation in violence has disproportionately impacted women, 
        who have been targeted while working as reporters, administering 
        vaccines, serving in prominent positions, and helping their communities: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) extends its heartfelt condolences to, and stands with, 
        the people of Afghanistan and the Hazara community;
            (2) condemns all forms of violence against women and girls 
        in Afghanistan;
            (3) supports United States and international efforts to 
        ensure that girls in Afghanistan are able to safely attend 
        school;
            (4) affirms that the United States should continue to 
        provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls to 
        achieve an education;
            (5) calls on the Government of Afghanistan to support 
        girls' education and to ensure that girls are able to safely 
        attend school;
            (6) calls for international condemnation of violence 
        against Afghan women and girls; and
            (7) asks the international community to devote the 
        resources and attention necessary to provide for the continued 
        safe education of girls in Afghanistan.
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