Condemning the Abduction of Female Students by Boko Haram
Floor Speech
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Ms. WILSON of Florida. Thank you, Congressman Engel. I would like to thank the leadership of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation, Congressman Engel, Congressman Royce, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, Congressman Smith, Congresswoman Bass, and the support of Leader Pelosi.
I stand here today on the House floor demanding that we ``bring back our girls.'' I am outraged and heartbroken over the kidnapping of hundreds of female students in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram.
These girls have now been away from their home for more than a month. I cannot even begin to imagine what this is like for these girls, for their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their entire village. We must end this nightmare.
The abduction of these girls was committed to keep them from getting an education. The girls knew the dangers they might encounter. Their school had previously been closed due to terrorist attacks, but they went to school anyway. They went because they were determined to get an education, determined to build a better life for themselves and for their families.
Women and girls have the right to go to school without fear of violence and unjust treatment. I believe that we must do everything in our power, Mr. Speaker, to ensure the safe return of these precious young girls. That is why I introduced H. Res. 573, to send a clear message to Nigeria and to the international community: women around the world have the right to be free and live without fear. Women should not be forced to risk their lives to get an education they want and deserve.
H. Res. 573 puts the U.S. House of Representatives firmly on record condemning the atrocious attack and Boko Haram's violent attacks on civilian targets in Nigeria.
H. Res. 573 seeks to hold those who conduct violent attacks accountable.
H. Res. 573 reaffirms our support for the assistance that the President and the administration is providing to help Nigerians find the girls and calls for the development of a comprehensive strategy to counter the threat of radical terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
H. Res. 573 calls for the safe return of these girls to an environment that protects children seeking to obtain an education.
In these girls, I see our daughters, our sisters, our nieces. I see their hopes and their dreams. These girls are strong, determined, courageous, and understand the value of an education.
As a past principal, I understand, and we must support them. We know that girls who are educated make higher wages, lead healthier lives, and have healthier families. Education is truly a girl's best chance for a brighter future, not just for herself, but for her family and her nation.
I have a large constituency of Nigerians in my district. On Saturday, I participated in a rally to encourage Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to do more to find the girls. My constituents were calling him ``Badluck Jonathan'' in their frustration because he is not doing enough to find these girls. ``Badluck Jonathan is not doing enough'' was the call and the rallying cry at the rally.
I walked away from the rally with this shirt that reads, ``Nigeria,'' and I walked away with my heart still full of worry, still full of concern, and I am puzzled. Are they hungry? Are they sheltered? Can they shower? Can they take care of their womanly needs? Have they been raped? Have they been beaten? Have they been sold? Are they still even alive?
God of our weary years. God of our silent tears. We are reliving the past. The past of the slave trade. The past of the torture and suffering that we endured as slaves. We should never, never relive the indignities of the past.
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