[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REGARDING THE SHI'ITE PERSONAL 
                       STATUS LAW IN AFGHANISTAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 2009


  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, today, along with Representatives 
Baldwin, and Biggert, I am introducing a House Concurrent Resolution 
which expresses the sense of Congress that the Shi'ite Personal Status 
Law in Afghanistan violates the fundamental rights of women and should 
be repealed. Senator Boxer is introducing the same resolution in the 
Senate.
  In March the Afghan parliament approved the Shi'ite Personal Status 
Law which was signed by President Hamid Karzai. According to reports in 
the media and by the United Nations, this law would legalize marital 
rape, strip mothers of custodial rights in the event of a divorce, and 
prohibit a woman from leaving her home unless her husband gives his 
approval. President Obama has called this law ``abhorrent'' and the UN 
High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the law is ``reprehensible 
and reminiscent of the decrees made by the Taliban regime in 
Afghanistan in the 1990s.''
  This resolution urges the Afghan Government and President Karzai to 
declare these provisions unconstitutional, and to not publish the law 
on the grounds that it violates the Constitution of Afghanistan and the 
basic rights of women. Additionally, the resolution encourages the U.S. 
Government to address the status of women's rights and security in 
Afghanistan to ensure that these rights are not being eroded.
  I have long been a champion for the rights of women internationally, 
but particularly in Afghanistan. Throughout the country's turbulent 
history, the women of Afghanistan have been a source of strength, 
stability, and peace. Working with my colleagues, we have ensured that 
reconstruction aid for Afghanistan includes support for programs that 
increase women's access to education, economic opportunities, and 
health care. We have also worked to increase recognition of the vital 
role women have to play in rebuilding Afghan society in the wake of 
violent conflict, and I am pleased that the U.S. government has devoted 
resources specifically to support the work of local women-led 
nongovernmental organizations, as well as the Afghan Independent Human 
Rights Commission.
  In its current form, the Shi'ite Personal Status Law fundamentally 
contradicts these efforts. We cannot stand by and allow such an immense 
setback to the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, who have been 
treated as second-class citizens for far too long. For years, the 
United States has worked with the people and government of Afghanistan 
to rebuild the rule of law and promote respect for human rights. 
Creating a new and better future for the women of Afghanistan is a 
critical part of this mission.

                          ____________________