[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 477--CALLING FOR THE SAFE AND IMMEDIATE RETURN OF 
               NOOR AND RAMSAY BOWER TO THE UNITED STATES

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

                              S. Res. 477

       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.

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