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

III 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, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. RISCH, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. COONS, Mr. ROMNEY, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. KAINE, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations MAY 27, 2021 Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, without amendment JUNE 7, 2021 Considered and agreed to 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; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Jun 07, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR229.ATS SR229 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 SRES 229 ATS 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 commu- nity; (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 Depart- ment of State with an honorary International Women of Courage award; Whereas Afghan girls were restricted from accessing an edu- cation 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 Af- ghanistan; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Jun 07, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR229.ATS SR229 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 SRES 229 ATS (2) only 17 percent of girls in rural parts of Afghan- istan 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 disproportion- ately 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 (1) extends its heartfelt condolences to, and 2 stands with, the people of Afghanistan and the 3 Hazara community; 4 (2) condemns all forms of violence against 5 women and girls in Afghanistan; 6 (3) supports United States and international ef- 7 forts to ensure that girls in Afghanistan are able to 8 safely attend school; 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Jun 07, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR229.ATS SR229 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 SRES 229 ATS (4) affirms that the United States should con- 1 tinue to provide assistance to support the rights of 2 women and girls to achieve an education; 3 (5) calls on the Government of Afghanistan to 4 support girls’ education and to ensure that girls are 5 able to safely attend school; 6 (6) calls for international condemnation of vio- 7 lence against Afghan women and girls; and 8 (7) asks the international community to devote 9 the resources and attention necessary to provide for 10 the continued safe education of girls in Afghanistan. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Jun 07, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR229.ATS SR229 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS