[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 616 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 616
Expressing support for the people of Afghanistan, condemning the
Taliban's assault on human rights and the specific targeting of women,
girls, and members of religious and ethnic minorities, and expressing
support for any Afghans who assisted in the United States mission in
Afghanistan.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 26, 2023
Mr. Crow (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Ms. Wild, and Mr.
Waltz) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the people of Afghanistan, condemning the
Taliban's assault on human rights and the specific targeting of women,
girls, and members of religious and ethnic minorities, and expressing
support for any Afghans who assisted in the United States mission in
Afghanistan.
Whereas, upon returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have become one of
the world's most repressive organizations, depriving the Afghans of
their enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and rolling
back the rights of women, girls, and members of vulnerable communities;
Whereas the Taliban have placed severe restrictions on women and girls, limiting
their travel, access to education, and livelihoods;
Whereas, in March 2022, Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada canceled plans to reopen
girls' secondary schools, and in December 2022, the Taliban-run Ministry
of Higher Education suspended women from attending public and private
universities, and in January 2023, barred them from private universities
altogether;
Whereas the Taliban ordered all local and international nongovernmental
organizations to dismiss their female employees or risk revocation of
their licenses, with some exceptions for women working in health and
education;
Whereas the Taliban have used unjust force against Afghans participating in
demonstrations in support of women and girls, including through the use
of water cannons and beatings, and protesters have faced other serious
physical abuses;
Whereas the Taliban continue to engage in gross human rights abuses including
unjust detentions, disappearances and abductions, physical abuses,
summary killings, collective punishment, and profiling and surveilling
members of ethnic, tribal, and religious groups perceived as holding
anti-Taliban views;
Whereas the Taliban have placed severe restrictions on freedoms of expression,
including for members of the press, peaceful assembly, and association,
and have targeted members of the media, human rights defenders, and
civil society activists through harassment, interference, surveillance,
intimidation, detention, and violence;
Whereas many Hazaras, Sufis, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and
members of other religious minority groups face repeated harassment,
detention, violence, and other egregious abuses of religious freedom due
to their beliefs since the Taliban reimposed their strict interpretation
of Sunni Islam on Afghanistan;
Whereas the Taliban and Islamic State in the Khorasan Province have forcibly
displaced a large number of Hazara families from their homes and
ancestral lands as a form of collective punishment and targeted this
community in violent attacks;
Whereas summary killings and disappearances have taken place despite the
Taliban's announced amnesty for former government and military
officials;
Whereas terrorist groups, including the Islamic State in the Khorasan Province,
continue to destabilize Afghanistan, use the country to launch external
threats, and present an enduring threat to nations around the globe;
Whereas it is in the global interest to prevent the growth of terrorist
organizations operating in Afghanistan by addressing the human rights
degradation and internal oppression that have the potential to fuel
external aggression;
Whereas the restrictive policies of the Taliban have undermined human rights and
exacerbated the ongoing financial and humanitarian crisis, contributing
to an unstable operating environment for humanitarian relief with
continued interference and violence against aid workers;
Whereas the United Nations estimates that 28,000,000 people, or two-thirds of
the Afghan population, need humanitarian assistance in 2023 and an
estimated 19,900,000 Afghans are experiencing acute food insecurity;
Whereas the United States supported efforts to build democracy, promote rights
for women and girls, and strengthen the rule of law in Afghanistan
through diplomatic, military, and humanitarian efforts for over 20
years; and
Whereas the United States remains committed to supporting the Afghan people
through their struggle for democracy and human rights: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the Taliban's ongoing human rights abuses
against women and girls, members of religious and ethnic
minorities, civil society leaders and activists, humanitarian
workers, and journalists, among members of other vulnerable
groups in Afghanistan, and calls for the group to halt any
further acts of violence and repression against the Afghan
people;
(2) encourages the Secretary of State, as appropriate, to
consider determining whether the Taliban have committed crimes
against humanity in connection with their treatment of women
and girls in Afghanistan; and
(3) encourages the United States Government to work with
our allies and partners, including the United Nations and
multilateral partners, to develop a comprehensive, long-term
strategy to--
(A) counter a resurgence of increased violence
against human rights defenders in Afghanistan,
especially against those who defend the rights of women
and girls, held political office in the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, were involved in the peace
processes, or are otherwise in the public eye;
(B) support human rights defenders, especially
those who defend the rights of women and girls and the
aspirations of the Afghan people for a democratic
future based on the respect for human rights, good
governance, and the rule of law;
(C) support the Afghan people in their struggle for
survival, human rights, and democracy;
(D) support the comprehensive documentation of
human rights abuses committed by the Taliban since the
group's takeover of the country in August 2021;
(E) hold the Taliban to account for its human
rights abuses;
(F) expedite processing and evacuation of Afghan
Priority 1 (P-1), Priority 2 (P-2), and Special
Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants for refugee
resettlement; and
(G) counter terrorist organizations in Afghanistan
including through the use of over-the-horizon
capabilities.
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