State Information Service- Speeshes - <BR>Mubarak’s speech on the occasion of the 45th anniversary <BR>of July 23rd Revolution,

Wednesday, July 23, 1997

Mubarak’s speech on the occasion of the 45th anniversary
of July 23rd Revolution,

Fellow Citizens,

Today is the 45th anniversary of the Glorious July Revolution, a unique revolution which peacefully changed the way of life in Egypt, removed occupation forces away from most of our Arab world, hoisted the banners of freedom and independence over the territories of our third world and made the interests of the overwelming majority of our people the basis for the legitimacy and responsibility of government.

Our celebration today of this Glorious Revolution is in honour of the Egyptian people's struggle for regaining freedom and dignity as well as of the struggle of several other nations that was inspired by July Revolution in their just struggle against forces of oppression and occupation. We are celebrating one of the greatest revolutions which constituted an important episode in the history of human struggle marking the end of old colonialism, the removal of foreign military bases, implanted in Egypt and some neighbouring countries, and the tide of national independence which had firmly established oppressed peoples' right to self-determination and their aspirations to catch up with human progress. July Revolution was a culmination of a protracted struggle of the Egyptian people in defence of their right of having sovereign homeland free of any imposing foreign occupation which drains out its resources, and paralyses its will.

By all standards, July Revolution was the whole people's revolution. Naturally, in objectives and principles were inspired by the struggle of Egyptians throughout their eventful history. The various stages of struggle were linked with mass uprising of the Egyptian people, involving all segments of the society, which had paved the way for the July Revolution.

On that glorious day, July 23rd, 1952, a vanguard of Free Officers who had already experienced and nurtured the tribulations as well as the aspirations of Egypt led by the loyal son of Egypt; Gamal Abdul Nasser, set out to overthrow the old regime. The objective was to establish on its ruins a national regime that would realize the goals of national struggle in its tireless drive for independence and national liberation already started by Omar Makram and Ahmed Orabi, Saad Zaghloul and Mostapha el Nahas through the National party leaders; Mostapha Kamel and Muhammad Farid.

The Revolution had to address the demands of a people whose social and political rights had been wasted. The only way for restoring such right was to effect an overall change of the structure and goals of the society, in such a way as to realize social justice and protect the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.

The Revolution had to face the occupation troops crouching on the territory of Egypt in an age when colonialism had reached the apex of power and hegemony. It had to preserve national independence under complex international conditions, governed by the cold war, policies of alliances, ideological and political conflicts, leading to the dichotomy of the world into two conflicting camps, sharing influence and hegemony over the whole world.

It had to translate the aspirations of the people into a national action programme which received a sweeping support from the masses of the Egyptian people and materialized the marvellous coalition of all the Revolutionary vanguards who emerged from the ranks of the armed forces and the masses of the Egyptian people.

The Revolution went through the battles of evacuation, independence, resistance of pacts, Suez Canal nationalization, building of the High Dam and industrialization of the country. The Revolution had also to go through three severe wars, in defence of national security. In the face of the grave injustice suffered by the overwhelming majority of the people, the Revolution adopted the claims of social justice, spurred the Third World peoples' struggle and irreversibly put an end to old colonialism.

Despite the thorny cricumstances, which surrounded the July Revolution and dictated its involvement in battles, causing plenty of troubles to Egypt, the Revolution maintained its essence and original Egyptian spirit. Throughout, the Revolution has remained white and antagonist to voilence. It derived its priniciples from the values of the Egyptian people. It did not confine itself to irrational dogmas, but rather was always involved in a progressive human experiment of constant self-rejuvenation, learning lessons from its mistakes, reacting in response to the events and variables of the time, maintaining its own freedom of action, and protecting itself from the perils of isolation and stagnation.

Brothers and Sisters
Historians will be at variance over the shortcomings that beset the Revolution's progress, chained off much of its energy and potential and enabled its enemies to deal severe blow thereat. However, it can not be disputed that the July Revolution has brought about a far-reaching transformation in the history of Egypt and the Middle East as well as a change in the philosophy of government in favour of the masses. It was a national revolution whose motivation was to assert the dignity and integrity of the homeland, and persistently achieve its liberation and independence.

If, as all great revolutions, the July Revolution had its own shortcomings, the crucial issue is ultimately the essential mission for which the revolution broke out, the historical circumstances which governed its progress and the great goals it could realize.

In the face of the economic and social backwardness which dominated Egypt before July 1952, the Revolution adopted the objective of independent development. In the face of foreign hegemony over the region, the Revolution adopted the objective of national and Pan-Arab independence. In opposition to despotism in all its forms, the Revolution hoisted the banner of freedom and democracy. These were some of the sound constant principles which shaped the conscience of the Revolution. These principles should be the fair criteria to be used in judging certain applications and measures taken by the Revolution, which are no longer congenial to the spirit and conditions of the time. Moreover, these measures and applications, themselves constituted obstructions to the Revolution's progress.

Brothers & Sisters,
During recent decades, the world has radically changed. International and regional conditions have altered since the outbreak of the Revolution in July 1952. The age multi-polarity and the Cold War has come to an end; the balance of power has changed as well as the centres of influence in the world. The impact of the technology and communications revolution has grown greater today. We are on the threshold of a new era in which many of the world criteria, systems and instruments, especially in the fields of economy and trade are globally standardized.

Concurrent with the radical changes witnessed on the international arena during the recent decades, domestic changes of no less impact and scope have taken place as a result of the maturity of the national experience exercised since the outbreak of the Revolution. National goals have been realized in phases. Colonialism was liquidated from most parts of the Arab world and national regimes took over. The concept of social justice was more firmly established. Feudalism was eliminated and large national industries were established in many of the Arab countries, leading to the emergence of an organised broad labour base.

Such profound changes should normally reflect on the overall conditions of the national and Pan-Arab march, leading the drive by the state towards firmly establishing democratic practice and the rule of law, and constitutional in line of revolutionary legitimacy. As a result, class struggle was alleviated, the people, with all its classes and elements was united into one cohesive and harmonious whole and the multi party system became the basis for competing for popular support.

All these factors have contributed to the enhancement of political, economic and social stability, thus enabling the people and its institutions to decisively confront the dangers of extremism and terrorism without any violation to the rule of law. As a result, wide opportunities were made available for individual initiatives to directly contribute to development of society, and the building of a sound base for a daring giant economic breakthrough. The society was thus enabled to assimilate the most up-to-date and advanced technological systems in all walks of life in Egypt. Basic education was widely expanded and radically developed, in a way that is unprecedented over many decades in the past.

Reading has become a popular habit among the different classes and age groups of society. Culture has become an indispensable human necessity; and the state has steered towards a new revolution in the field of health services all over the country.

The state, with its central and local insitutions now pay great attention to areas which have been neglected for several decades and centuries. National effort was addressed to great development and civilizational projects unprecedented in our modern history. Of these, particular mention is here made of the Southern Valley Development Project with all its dimensions, impacts and the aspirations pinned thereon. This project will, interalia, allow new and largescale opportunities for the promising youth of Egypt to deal with the state-of-the-art techniques as well as advanced technological and scientific concepts and culture.

This will have the effect of pushing forward the progress of the Egyptian people along modernization and construction, in harmony with the rising international trends. In the meantime, the distinct cultural and moral heritage and values, of the Egyptian people, its second of civilization and singularity emanating from historical accumulation across successive centuries, through the assimilation an extremely strong and solid whole, are all preserved.

This is a prelude to a new highly rich phase of the progress of civilization in Egypt, adding up to, rather than detracting from the positive achievements already made during past phases. Thus a great, allout awakening could be achieved, whereby prosperity and growth will be spread all over the territory of the good earth of Egypt.

This huge radical evolution should normally lead to a corresponding change in performance techniques and government policies. It was no longer possible to resort to publicc confiscation, nationalization and sequestration, practices. Nor was it acceptable to disregard the Private Sector's role in the development process. Nor was it plausible to settle regional conflicts through armed power.

International relations have stepped into a new stage based on equal exchange of mutual interests and benefits overlooking bitterness and hostilities of the past. However, the changes in modalities, tools and methods of national action, which made them flexible enough to cope with the nature and challenges, of the age changes did not much detract from the constants of the Egyptian struggle embodied by the July Revolution.

Chief of these were reinforcing the independence of the national decision, the standing up for the rights of the overwhelming majority of our people, adhering, to social justice in order to secure the cohesiveness and unity of the nation, seeking to realize sustainable development, establishing a strong Arab entity capable of confronting challenges, economic blocs and persisting on builld a strong army to defend Egypt's national security and strenghtening the national secuity of the Arab Nation besides achieving balance in this vital part of the world.

All these principles are still firmly-established constants, constituting basic elements of the current Egyptian policy, national and international. We are seeking to realize these principles by all legitimate means, seeking inspiration from the Egyptian people's struggle and the lessons learned from the course of July Revolution with its successes and errors and the nature of the present time and its new challenges driving us into a tough race, which will be won only by those who possess the will and determination and a sound future vision.

We believe that our first aim now is to achieve sustainable development at a growth rate escalating to threefold the population growth rate. The burdens of such development should be undertaken by all the segments of the Egyptian people. Arab and foreign capital should contribute to this development, the returns of which should be utilized by all classes of the Egyptian people with no exceptions.

Sustainable development is the cornerstone of independent political decision. We should always remember that a nation does not own the means of self-substance and food; does not possess an independent decision. Moreover, balanced development is the optimal way to create productive employment opportunities to accomodate every year half a million youngmen representing Egypt's rising generations. Failing this, it will be imposible to raise Egyptian standard of living, and it will be difficult to realize a true social justice, where the interests of the less able brackets of the community will be taken into consideration.

For more than 40 years, Egypt has tried to achieve its development enterprise, relying solely on state efforts. However, the experiment has resulted in severe shortcomings, leading to heavy "strains" to the public treasury as well as a wide spread sense of indifference and dependence among individuals.

Now, it is a recognized fact, that the influx of investments to Egypt following the success of its economic reform programme, have already achieved massive results. Employment opportunties have expanded, quality of production improved and market competition in favour of consumers grown more and severe. Moreover, with the increase in the state tax proceeds, the state is now capable of increasing expenditure on the improvement of health, education and utility services. However, the policy of encouraging producers and reliance on market forces, does not mean the absence of the State role in preserving social peace and safeguarding the interests of the less able brackets of the society. Nor does it ever mean the oligarchy of captial or the undermining of the rule of law and compliance thereto. We are in fact seeking to build a strong, cohesive society, making balanced strides along the path of progress.

It is a society, where all available resources are utilized, monoply is combatted and all doors are wide-open for every sincere, constructive effort.

No less important is our keen interest on creating a strong, cohesive Arab economic entity, that would, in the age of mammoth economic blocs, safeguard Arab interests and secure for the Arabs an appropriate position in the world, through joint co-operation on equal footing. We do want to see the dream of an Arab Common Market to come true. We want such market to activate Arab inter-trade, which is so far so feeble and so meagre. We want it as a ground for coordinating joint investment projects, development and industrialization plans and a proper beginning for a far-reaching Arab economic integration, which realizes the joint interests for all parties.

Out of all this,We are not seeking conflict with any other economic blocs, We are rather looking for co-operation with all parties on sound and equal footing. It is not our objective to create a self-closed market, but rather a beginning for an economic integration and a wider international co-operation, under which Arab interests are protected and joint interests with other parties realized.

We do have no interest in being hostile to any party unless it will take the initiative to do so. certainly, it is in our interest to maintain good relationships with all parties and to utilize such relationships in the interest of Egypt, the Arab nation and overall, just peace, which will, God willing, truimph over all barriers.

Brothers and Sisters,
The variables of real life normally imposes itself on the progress of history, as well as on peoples' experiments. History does not recur, nor does it repeat earlier chapters. History, rather marches forwards, taking past events into consideration. Peoples do not live on the memories of past experiments, however rich they may be. They rather add to such experiments the lessons learnt from past experience of acievements and errors and the lessons learnt from others' experience.

The Egyptian people has always interacted with the essence and principles of Revolution and preserved its firm certainties. However, it reserved the right of free action and initiative to rectify the path. It was mostly thanks to the people that the concepts of the Revolution had been evolved, its capability to adopt to historical variables enhanced, thus avoiding being ruined as a result of facing tangible reality.

The people have set aside wrong application practices, deviations by centres of power and violations by revolutionary legitimacy. The people rather sided with the essence of original principles; and rearranged the order of their priorities to cope with the requirements of the time; and to formulate a new present. Under such circumstance, the leading position will be taken by a true democracy, where opinion and counter-opinion are equally respected and pluralism firmly adopted. It is also envisaged to build up the model state, that rejects intervention in others' affairs and strives at a wide pan-Arab reconciliation through dialogue with sisterly Arab countries. No attempt should be made to impose its opinion on other states.

It should do the best it can to maintain with all parties, good relations based on mutual respect, adherence to international respect, adherence to international legitmacy and full conviction of the feasibility of peace and stability in realizing people's aspirations.

Brothers and Sisters,
I pray to Allah the Al mighty to support us along the right path, to inspire us with all that may bring about prosperity and progress, to grant us right guidance and success in every step to take along the path of glory and construction and help us avoid hindrances on the road. It is Allah that is the Best Sustainer and Best Supporter.

May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you


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