Reform means building,not destroying: Saud

In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (Wam), Shaikh Saud said: “We, as nationals of this country, are united in one common goal which is defending this country and preserving its achievements.”

The following is the full text:

“Recently, we heard about an unusual phenomenon that is alien to the society in the UAE. We can hardly believe it. A group of nationals have met to create an organisation that seeks to ruin our country and to harm it, its leadership and its great national heritage.

“The UAE nationals have preserved their country. Previously, they did not have the wealth and education that they have today. Based on their loyalty and faithfulness, they have made achievements and have promoted the stature of their country. They are famous for being hard working and diligent, people who take pride in their country and cooperate with each other.

“Thank God, we were blessed in having the founding father of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who established our modern state, joined hands with his brother rulers and led his people in the glorious and epic process of building the successful federation. It is now an exemplary model for the transformation of a society that had not even a single university graduate into a modern state which boasts large numbers of doctors and professors.

“Thank God, the UAE is now an education hub for prestigious universities that spread knowledge, not only in the UAE, but also worldwide. We Emiratis are raised with certain noble values which require a full appreciation of the value of the home country and acceptance that one’s home is as dear as one’s mother and father.

“We also believe that reform means building the country and not destroying it. People here are well aware of the fact that their country keeps its doors wide open for them to nurture his or her work. People in this country know their rulers very well and know that there is this intimate unity of purpose between the leadership and the people.

“No ruler would be pleased if any member of the community was in need as the community and the ruler are closely interconnected.

“People here also know very well that any ship needs a captain whose image should always be preserved as the basis of success. Nations are lost when they lose their way and the opinions to guide them. “Today, it is our duty to reiterate our allegiance to the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and to reaffirm our determination to stand by him as a leader. We fully comprehend the extent of his utmost love for the country and that he walks in the footsteps of the founder of the UAE, the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. We, as nationals of this country, are united with one common goal — that of defending this country and preserving its achievements.

“We denounce any attempt to harm this country. I am confident that we will be able to tackle those involved and to contain them. They are our sons and it is our duty not to abandon them or to lose them. Our duty as a community (is) to guide to the right way those who have lost their way. We are one whole on the same boat and do not need lessons from others.

“Our past is eventful. The UAE has taken many positive positions on many issues, of which the most important is the Palestinian cause. The UAE’s position on Palestine was based on conviction. The people of the UAE in the past were not rich but they realised that their duty was to champion what is right. During the 1973 war, the UAE, under the leadership of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, did not consider the preservation of its interests and its relations with the West to be more important than the need to champion the cause that was right. With that position, the UAE wanted to remind the world that it should come, in the end, to support that which is right.

“Since its establishment, the UAE has adopted a policy of helping all those in need. This is an honour for us. The UAE made foreign aid to other nations as one of its top priorities in its approach to external relations. The UAE’s white hands are everywhere, assisting all nations in crisis.

“We as Muslims reject terrorism and seek peace; we respect others and we believe in science. We are Muslims for peace. Today we support the march of the UAE and its status as a favoured destination for millions of people who came here not by force, but who were attracted by the good-heartedness and tolerance of our people. A large number of people dream of living in the UAE. Thanks to Allah and to the leadership and loyalty of our people, the UAE has made miraculous progress. We have been transformed from an illiterate community to a country which has a large number of universities.

“Today, we have the right to cast blame upon this group and to reject their plans to harm their country, its leadership and their own people. Nobody in their right mind would destroy his or her own country if he or she really wants to achieve growth. Why seek to conceal plans that would be harmful with proposals for false reforms? He who builds a country should not wreak havoc on it and he who offers advice should not insult others. Our leaders are our teachers and guides.

“I pray to Allah to guide us all, to help us and to forgive us. We all work today towards the same goal. With our great legacy, it is our duty to draw a red line and say out loud: We commit ourselves to the covenant. We are one hand and one body and we reject anything that harms our state and our leader.

“May Allah preserve our country, its leadership and people, and guide us all to the right way.”