Ted Poe: “Sehar, a Pakistani woman in an arranged marriage, was constantly raped and abused by her husband. He accused her of…”

“Sehar, a Pakistani woman in an arranged marriage, was constantly raped and abused by her husband. He accused her of becoming a doctor only to attract men. He blamed her for the miscarriage that she had, and he constantly beat her. He was angry when she gave birth to two girls rather than to two boys, and he was an abuser of the girls and his wife. Sehar and her daughters were able to escape to the United States to find safety. She will not go back to Pakistan because her former husband's family says they will kill her. Violence against women, unfortunately, is too common of a plight for women throughout the world. My grandmother used to tell me that you never hurt somebody you claim you love. As the leader of the free world, it is critical that the United States promote this simple truth throughout this country and other countries: Every person has the right to a life free of violence. I want to thank the gentlelady from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) for bringing this to the attention of the Members of Congress as we reflect on this fact during these 16 days against gender violence. And that's just the way it is. ____________________”