[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10187]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE BURNING OF AFGHAN SCHOOLS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deep concern about 
reports that schools in Afghanistan continue to be destroyed. I 
recently met with Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghan Independent Human 
Rights Commission, who reported to me that since 2005, dozens of 
schools have been burned. Dr. Samar works courageously every day, under 
threat of personal attack, to ensure that the rights of Afghan 
citizens, including women and children, are protected. I strongly agree 
with her that to truly be empowered, Afghan women and girls must be 
educated.
  I urge the U.S. State Department to take immediate action to ensure 
that Afghan children and women can be educated without fear of 
violence. This is truly vital to the future of Afghanistan. Although 
the lives of some women are improving, for far too many, the situation 
has remained the same. They continue to endure hardships including 
targeted violence, limited mobility, illiteracy, and a high rate of 
maternal mortality. By giving women access to the skills and 
opportunities that they need to become partners in creating 
Afghanistan's future, we will ensure that women will no longer be 
second-class citizens. We cannot afford to wait.

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