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UAE Commemoration Day: Sheikh Mohammed pays tribute to nation's martyrs

Dubai - Martyrs will remain immortal in conscience of UAE people, says Sheikh Mohammed

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, said that UAE martyrs will remain alive and fresh in the memory of generations to come and in the conscience of the UAE people.

In a statement given to ‘Nation Shield,’ the UAE Armed Forces magazine, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed made these remarks in observance of UAE Commemoration Day, marked on November 30th every year.

Following is the full text of his statement on the occasion:

“I salute you all on this blessed day wherein we – inspired by our noble values of loyalty and giving – commemorate our martyrs with faith and patriotism.

We thank Allah Almighty for blessing us with valiant men and women who have lived up to their promises to this nation. We commemorate today their children who responded to their call of duty, fought and died while defending our country, its dignity, sovereignty and independence.

We are gathering today, the leadership and people, to commemorate our martyrs, and we are confident that their achievements will remain indelible in the annals of history. They are present in every achievement, every success, and every victory we are achieving. They are alive in the conscience of every Emirati, driving them to serve our country with loyalty and devotion.

Let them find solace in the fact that they have given the country a deeper meaning in its people’s hearts, as they have shown that the nation is not just a geographical space with borders, but it is rather a way of life, values and a civilisation established by generation after generation, and a legacy that we are keen to preserve and strengthen, as our ancestors did.

Our martyrs showed us the true manifestations of our unity and the depth of our people’s patriotism and loyalty to our country, its leadership and decisions. Our martyrs are our noblest men who came from all over the country to serve our nation and preserve our honoured values. The Armed Forces are our solid fortress and shield. Our loyal men have kept their promises by fighting under the Emirati flag and sacrificed their lives to keep it flying high.

On this day, our martyrs remind us of the bright Emirati model. Our developmental and humanitarian achievements continue to be recognised and appreciated across global development and competitiveness indexes.

Emirati citizens are innovative and excel in the civil and military sectors, successfully keeping pace with the latest global developments, to which they are effectively contributing. They also engage in the space sector and its industries, manage nuclear reactors, use and manufacture modern and advanced weapons, and respond to their call of duty. They will not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for their country.

One of the greatest feats of our martyrs is the fact that they have consolidated the values of patriotism among the Emirati people, reinforcing our unity, cohesion, solidarity and giving while enhancing the nation’s overall performance.

I have seen this spirit among our front liners while countering the coronavirus pandemic, who have performed admirably in containing the crisis, limiting its spread, and reducing its economic and psychological repercussions. They have also achieved global excellence in the areas of testing and tracking, and developing vaccines and treatments.

My nation’s sons and daughters,

Yes, Commemoration Day is a national day, but for our Armed Forces officers and soldiers, each day is a commemoration day, for they are the colleagues of our martyrs - their brothers on the battlefield. They stayed longer together in training camps than they did with their families. They cohabitated and trained together. They fought together, faced danger together, and protected each other on battlefield. Some of them died on the battlefield and some of them were injured, but all of them sought victory or martyrdom together.

On your behalf, I congratulate all our courageous Armed Forces recruits; everyone who has served in the military, and all those who have joined the national service. I congratulate them on the medals of pride and glory decorating their chests thanks to our martyrs.

I salute those who established, developed and modernised our Armed Forces: the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; my brother President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; my brother His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who led the development of our national military cadres and equipped our army with the best and most advanced weaponry.

My sons and daughters,

Today will be gone forever, and tomorrow will be a new day, and we shall go to our work and get busy. However, the nation’s memory will never forget our loyal offspring. Our martyrs will always live in our conscience; they will always look upon us whenever our flag flies high, and whenever our national anthem is played, and whenever we celebrate a new achievement.

We shall remember them at Wahat Al Karma, beside the shrine of the Founder of the Union, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, as well as in mosques, monuments, squares, streets and schools. The nation’s memory will never forget the martyrs and their epical sacrifices for this nation. The martyrs proved the true worth of Emirati families, who have raised their children on noble values, ethics and patriotism.

May Allah Almighty accept our martyrs in heaven and grant our injured a speedy recovery.

Peace be upon you all.”