[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 59 (Friday, April 26, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE STATE OF QATAR AND HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH, HAMAD BIN KHALIFAH 
                                AL-THANI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 26, 2013

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to 
welcome His Highness Sheikh, Hamad Bin Khalifah Al-Thani, the Amir of 
Qatar, on his visit to the United States and express my deep 
appreciation for the strong and growing friendship between our two 
countries. I also would like to recognize the State of Qatar for their 
promotion of democracy and higher education.
  Qatar is a critical ally and is host to our troops at Al Udeid 
(OODADE), the largest U.S. military air base on foreign soil, in Doha 
which continues to be invaluable to our efforts in the region. Qatar is 
also particularly important because of its efforts to promote democracy 
and the right to vote around the world. I know this because I traveled 
to Qatar in 1999 to celebrate its first democratic elections--the first 
in which a Gulf Cooperation Council state allowed women to vote and run 
for office. It was a momentous occasion. Allowing women to vote and 
giving them the opportunity to run for office was a major step forward 
in the democratic transformation of Qatar. Today they continue to 
boldly support democratic ideals by making great strides in education.
  Now, with the help of the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah 
Bint Nasser Al-Missned, women have the ability to earn a college degree 
in Qatar's Education City. This visionary woman is the moving force 
behind showing people everywhere how important and powerful the voices 
of women can be not just in Qatar, but around the world. This has not 
only been important for the rights of women, but it has helped the 
country further develop its educational offerings. Today, Education 
City houses branch campuses from some of the world's most prestigious 
institutions of higher learning, including Cornell University's Weill 
Medical College, Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, 
Northwestern University, Texas A&M University, and Virginia 
Commonwealth University. This unprecedented support for education in 
the region has helped women in their fight for equality and has made 
Qatar a beacon of higher education in the region and around the world.

                          ____________________