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S. C. R. No. 41 As IntroducedAs Introduced 130th General Assembly | Regular Session | 2013-2014 |
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Cosponsors:
Senators Schiavoni, Gentile, Cafaro, Seitz, Jones, Hughes, Manning, Brown, Smith, Sawyer
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION | To condemn the terrorist group Boko Haram for its
attacks on civilians, including the abduction of
female students, and to urge the President and
Congress to continue providing assistance in
locating the students.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO (THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING):
WHEREAS, On the night of April 14, 2014, 276 female students,
most of them between the ages of 15 and 18, were abducted by the
terrorist group Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary
School, a boarding school located in the northeastern province of
Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and |
WHEREAS, All public secondary schools in Borno were closed in
March 2014 because of the increased number of attacks over the
past year that have killed hundreds of students, but the young
women at the Government Girls Secondary School were recalled to
take their final exams. Boko Haram burned down several buildings
before opening fire on soldiers and police who were guarding the
Government Girls Secondary School and subsequently forced the
students into trucks; and |
WHEREAS, According to local officials in Borno, 53 students
were able to flee their captors while the rest remain in
captivity. Reports suggest the abducted girls have been sold by
Boko Haram to Islamist militants as brides for the equivalent of
$12 each; and |
WHEREAS, Boko Haram, which loosely translates from the Hausa
language to mean "Western education is sin," is known to oppose
the education of girls. Boko Haram has previously kidnapped girls
for use as cooks and sex slaves and claims responsibility for the
kidnapping in Borno on April 14, 2014; and |
WHEREAS, On April 14, 2014, hours before the kidnapping in
Borno, and on May 2, 2014, Boko Haram bombed bus stations in
Abuja, Nigeria, killing at least 94 people and wounding over 160,
making it the deadliest set of attacks ever in Nigeria's capital
city; and |
WHEREAS, Late on May 5, 2014, suspected Boko Haram gunmen
kidnapped an additional eight girls, ranging in age from 12 to 15,
from a village in northeast Nigeria; and |
WHEREAS, The United States Department of State designated
Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013,
recognizing the threat posed by the group's large scale and
indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including women and children;
and |
WHEREAS, Reports estimate that more than 500 students and 100
teachers have been killed by Boko Haram and that Boko Haram has
destroyed approximately 500 schools in northern Nigeria, leaving
more than 15,000 students without access to education; and |
WHEREAS, Boko Haram has targeted schools, mosques, churches,
villages, agricultural centers, and government facilities in an
armed campaign to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria,
prompting the President of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency
in three of the country's northeastern provinces in May 2013; and |
WHEREAS, Human rights groups indicate that the Nigerian state
security forces should improve efforts to protect civilians during
offensive operations against Boko Haram. According to
nongovernmental organizations, more than 1,500 people have been
killed in attacks by Boko Haram or reprisals by the Nigerian
security forces this year alone and almost 4,000 people have been
killed in Boko Haram attacks since 2011; and |
WHEREAS, The enrollment, retention, and completion of
education for girls in Nigeria remains a major challenge.
According to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, some
4,700,000 children of primary school age are still not enrolled in
school in Nigeria, with attendance rates lowest in the north; and |
WHEREAS, Studies have found that school children in Nigeria,
particularly those in the northern provinces, are at a
disadvantage in their education, with 37% of primary school-age
girls in the rural northeast not attending school and 30% of boys
not attending school; and |
WHEREAS, Women and girls must be allowed to attend school
without fear of violence and unjust treatment in order to take
their rightful place as equal citizens of and contributors to
society; now therefore be it |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly
of the State of Ohio: |
-- Condemn Boko Haram for its violent attacks on civilian
targets, including schools, mosques, churches, villages, and
agricultural centers in Nigeria, and for its abduction of female
students; |
-- Urge the President of the United States and Congress to
continue to assist the government of Nigeria in the search for the
abducted girls and encourage the government of Nigeria to work
with the United States and the governments of other concerned
countries to resolve this tragic situation; |
-- Express strong support for the people of Nigeria,
especially the parents and families of the girls abducted by Boko
Haram in Borno, and call for the girls' immediate safe return; |
-- Encourage the government of Nigeria to strengthen efforts
to protect children seeking to obtain an education and to hold
those who conduct violent attacks accountable; |
-- Commend efforts by the United States government to hold
terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram, accountable; |
-- Recognize that every individual, regardless of gender,
should have the opportunity to pursue an education without fear of
discrimination; and |
-- Encourage the United States Department of State and the
United States Agency for International Development to continue
supporting initiatives that promote the human rights of women and
girls in Nigeria; and be it further |
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate send duly
authenticated copies of this resolution to the President and
Secretary of State of the United States, the Speaker and Clerk of
the United States House of Representatives, the President Pro
Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of
the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio. |
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