April 25, 2006

I talk to you on the anniversary of the Liberation of Sinai, as we celebrate an immortal day of Egypt's history and a glorious day for Egypt's people and the Armed Forces.

This anniversary will remain a turning point in our contemporary history, that will be ever retained by the nations memory and will be passed from one generation to another.

Today, 24 years have elapsed since the Egyptian flag was hoisted over the last spot of the Egyptian international borders in Sinai signalling the completion of its liberation and restoration to national territory and sovereignty after 15 years of occupation.

With the liberation of Sinai, the sad leaf of the 1967 defeat with its bitterness and suffering was turned over and with the restoration of this dear spot of Egypt's territory, the country's dignity and its compatriots' pride were redeemed as well. By celebrating this memorable anniversary, we recall with pride bright points in our modern history.

We recall the glorious October victory, the heroic feats of our Armed Forces personnel and souls of their martyrs who paved the way for the liberation of Sinai on the day they hoisted Egypt's flag over Barlev Line.

We recall the Egyptian people's support for their Armed Forces and sacrifices so that we could cross from defeat to victory and remove the stigma of occupation from Sinai.

We recall with appreciation and gratitude the hero of war and peace late President Sadat who took boldly and courageously both decisions, but terrorists assassinated him before he could witness the completion of Sinai Liberation.

Brothers and Sisters,

 Liberation of Sinai marked the end of a phase and the beginning of a new one in our national march. We have engaged in a decisive confrontation with blind terrorism, whose perils had hit Egypt before it did any other country in the region and the world.

Its evils, still lurking around us, threaten the lives and livelihood of our compatriots; fuelling sentiments of immoderation and extremism, mixing religion with politics and vise versa and trying to sow seeds of dissension between Moslems and Christians in Egypt in order to destabilize the homeland.

We embarked on an unprecedented breakthrough towards building, reconstruction, development and reform after we got rid of the humiliation of occupation and dropped off the burdens of successive wars that depleted much of our resources and wealth.

Sinai was restored to national sovereignty with its mountains and lands. Therefore, it becomes today a symbol of peace, a prominent mark on world tourist map and an example of our achievements in the Delta and Upper Egypt.

We have re-built a dilapidated infrastructure and an economy exhausted by wars. Utilities extended to Egypt's cities and rural areas. We established many industrial edifices and new urban communities. In addition, we have achieved many accomplishments in several production and service fields.

After liberating Sinai, we have gone through a similar liberation for our political life so as to respond to our people's aspiration of a democratic society. We have gone through a parallel liberation of our national economy so as to enable it to deal with the new facts of a changing world that we can neither ignore nor be isolated from its challenges and opportunities.

Last year was one of a major transformation, when accelerated steps of reform were taken, building on earlier steps taken over the past stage. New steps were launched by Menufiya initiative, constitutional amendment, the first multi-candidate presidential election in our history, followed by the parliamentary elections, and the vitality that all the aforementioned ever have triggered to our political life and social mobility.

Similarly, last year also augured well for the recovery of our economy, the end of years of growth slowdown and steady improvement of its indicators.

Brothers and Sisters,

This development would have never been realized had it not been for the liberation of Sinai, nor such liberation would have taken place had it not been for the heroic feats of our Armed Forces in October War and backing of the Egyptian people in order to liberate their occupied land and restore its pride and dignity. Our Armed Forces will always remain an invulnerable fortress for protecting Egypt and its people. Our Armed Forces will always sacrifice souls and blood for realizing this aim so as to deter aggression and safeguard peace.

Moreover, our Armed Forces will always remain an object of endearment and pride of our compatriots who nurture all appreciation and gratitude for all their personnel including those stationed in Egypt and those who represent the Egyptian time-honoured military far from the homeland in several peace-keeping operations.

The Egyptian people will always support his Armed Forces. We will spare no effort to provide them the highest levels of armament, equipment, experience and training so as to meet the requirements of safeguarding Egypt's national security, supreme interest and sanctity of its territories.

We will not drift into risks that gamble with the lives of our personnel. Nor will we isolate ourselves from the world around us or from the issues of our nation. But we aspire for the peace of our region and the prosperity of its peoples.

Fellow Citizens,

The memory of liberation of Sinai would inspire us with further determination and confidence in proceeding forward irreversibly and without hesitation to take new steps towards completing the march of democracy and creating the aspired modern society. We should pay no heed to claims of frustration or skepticism so as to build a better future for Egypt and our compatriots.

I pray to Allah Almighty to preserve Egypt a strong nation and the Egyptians a dignified people calling for peace and aspiring good for all. Happy Returns of the Day.

May Allah's Peace and Mercy be upon you.