The decision of the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to make November 30th of every year a day of the martyr translates human and civilizational values central to the United Arab Emirates since its establishment by his Highness late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on December 2, 1971.
As described by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, our martyrs are like ‘flares of light dissipating darkness along the path of hope in future generations.’ They were also compared to the ‘bone of the neck’, as expressed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme commander of the armed forces, performing his condolences for the Martyrs of the Emirates in Yemen, when he also said to the brother of a martyr, ‘your brother [the martyr], yourself, your children, you all are the bone of the neck.’ Such a concept underlines the well-established and inseparable relationship between our leadership and our loyal people. The leadership considers all citizens as ‘the bone of the neck’ both in the sense of closeness and affinity as well as kinship and membership.
The righteous leadership is aware of the amount of sacrifices made by our brave soldiers in the arena of national duty, honor, pride and glory. Our brave sons in the armed forces have written epics with their blood, whether on the battlefield or for the humanitarian aid and relief they provide to the brothers, the people of Yemen.
Martyr’s Day confirms that our people stand united behind our wise leadership, led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It is a day of national cohesion, pride and remembrance for the sacrifices of our martyred sons, the source of our strength, as His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme commander of the armed forces, said. They are inspiring current and future generations into giving to our country as our grandparents and parents had given so that we enjoy a safe stable homeland.
Martyr’s Day has become not only an occasion to show faithfulness in the sacrifices of martyrs, but also one to honor their mothers, their families and their children, proud of being related to national heroes. All around the country, the mothers of martyrs gave example of patience, steadfastness, altruism and loyalty, offering great sacrifices and showing huge empathy. They have shown that they instilled values of patriotism in the minds and hearts of their children turned national heroes, ready to defend the future, gains, security and stability of the nation.
The heroic martyrs wrote history with their own blood. They gave the best example of loyalty, dedication and belongingness. Every blood shed by the martyrs makes up a symphony of love for the flag, the land and the leadership and the people of the UAE. All the martyrs were sure that the children, parents, loved ones and all the Emirati people will never forget their sacrifices. They had faith that their names will ever be written down in the records of national pride.
The history of the Emirates and the sacrifices of our soldiers did not begin in Yemen. Since the founding of our young nation in 1971, our armed forces participated in military and humanitarian roles in Somalia, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Lebanon, and elsewhere, proving the UAE’s commitment to the principles and values of loyalty and civilized humanism.
Commemorating Martyr’s Day, may all of us – children, mothers, families and compatriots of the glorious martyrs – take pride in our national heroes whose sacrifices we shall never forget.
