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 and Ms. COLLINS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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; 

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; 


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•SRES 229 IS 

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 community; 

(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 Department of State with an honorary International Women of 

Courage award; 

Whereas Afghan girls were restricted from accessing an education 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 Afghanistan; 

(2) only 17 percent of girls in rural parts of Afghanistan 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 


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•SRES 229 IS 

(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 disproportionately impacted women, who have been targeted while 

working as reporters, administering vaccines, serving in 

prominent positions, and helping their communities: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) extends its heartfelt condolences to, and 

3 stands with, the people of Afghanistan and the 

4 Hazara community; 

5 (2) condemns all forms of violence against 

6 women and girls in Afghanistan; 

7 (3) supports United States and international ef8 forts to ensure that girls in Afghanistan are able to 

9 safely attend school; 

10 (4) affirms that the United States should con11 tinue to provide assistance to support the rights of 

12 women and girls to achieve an education; 

13 (5) calls on the Government of Afghanistan to 

14 support girls’ education and to ensure that girls are 

15 able to safely attend school; 


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•SRES 229 IS 

1 (6) calls for international condemnation of vio2 lence against Afghan women and girls; and 

3 (7) asks the international community to devote 

4 the resources and attention necessary to provide for 

5 the continued safe education of girls in Afghanistan. 

Æ 


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