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Sunday, July 23, 2000
Dear Fellow Citizens, The 23rd of July remains an outstanding landmark in the Egyptian history as it witnessed the first spark of a national bloodless revolution that embodied the people's demands, aspirations and determination to score their goals and aims. Our is a time-honoured people who had realized since the dawn of history that the nation's interests reign supreme and that for the sake of eternal Egypt, anything else can be spared. The revolution led by Egypt's loyal son Gamal Abdel-Nasser was a sincere and honest expression of the Egyptian people's refusal of the deteriorating conditions prevailing over the previous decades prior to the revolution. These were characterized by the control by forces of imperialism and exploitation over the country's destiny, violation of rights and interests of the vast majority of the people in addition to wasting human and natural resources, yielding no benefit to the nation. One is astonished to note that some people commit the vivid mistake of attempting to freeze the revoulation. By denying the effect of continuous mobility of history in successive series, they insist on confining it into rigid stereotypes which do not cope with variable circumstances at home and abroad, and make no use of past experience, heedless of the necessary requirements of the present and future. They are not aware that their method does not serve the revolution, since they insist on describing it as rigid and unable to cope with on-going progress and react according to its laws and inputs. Others view the revolution and its record from a totally dark perspective, disregarding its outstanding, unmistakable achievements and attributing thereto all harm caused to and all good missed by the region. In addition to these, there is a group that insist on desecrating historical reversing figures, facts and forging history by claiming visionary heroism. They often give full rein to their imagination fabricating events that never occured or attributing to leaders of the revolutionary weaknesses that had never been known by any throughout their lifetime. I wish such events would have been narrated or such weaknesses attributed in time during the lifetime of persons involved and their contemporaries. This will give them the oppotunity to comment on the points raised in such a way as to protect our history that is a part and parcel of the nation's conscience without forgery and misguidance. The collective memory of the masses that had lived and contributed to the making of the events of the revolutionary tide can help safeguard and protect the turth against a faction that are rightfully or wrongly reckoned to belong to the revolution. Since its outbreak, the revolution has realized that its message transcends Egypts political borders to all the Arab and Islamic world and the African continent, converging the aspirations of the peoples of the developing countries that were looking forward to get rid of the hegemony of colonialism and build a strong national economy capable of facing the exigencies of development in the interest of the masses. The revolution achieved a glaring success in various fields crystalized in deep radical changes in all political, economic and social fields of life. Now that almost half a century has passed since the revolution broke out, we all have to view from an objectively and mature perspective. We also have to cling to the scientific method in monitoring major historical events, analyzing and evaluating them. By so doing we will not only act as custodians to history, but will also be capable of making maximum use of the experience and lessons of the past. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Nowadays, the Egyptian people is passing through a significant stage in his history that aims at comprehensive reconstruction and a radical improvement of its natural and human resources, maximizing returns by using up-to-date scientific discoveries and applying state-of-the-art technological systems in all walks of life. We fully realize the nature of the challenge imposed by this stage as a matter of life and death. Thus, we can confront this only by national thinking that renders knowledge a priority and seeks to unveil new facts and innovate up-to-date techniques, concomitant with ambitious souls oriented to perfection and promotion of the quality of life everywhere in our secure valley. We have taken upon ourselves to engage into this battle armed with all elements of power embeded in the conscience of the people. This includes united ranks, cohesive social fabric, clear-cut goals, solid will, and the belief in the ability of the Egyptian to accomplish miracles whenever there is a right vision. Moreover, entering into this battle requires people's awareness of its national objectives according to appropriate priorities in the various stages of time in addition to empowering the society, with all its categories, to reorganize the requirements of each stage including sound thought, sober application and national consensus upon achieving goals and dreams of hard work and honest endeavour. Our means towards this end is to grasp a frim hand-hold which will never break, helping us join rather than keep apart our ranks, adds up to, rather waste away our efforts, capitalizing on achievements already made in by-gone eras that had, each, their own new exigencies and requirements. We are confident of Allah's support for such pursuit where He urges us to commit to reason, exert efforts and harness science in the interest and benefit of popular masses. To this end, we are armed with sustained endeavour, reasoning that does not miss the mark and, above all, an unshakable belief in Allah and our motherland. May Allah protect us and guide us to the right and rational path. May Allah's peace and mercy be upon you |
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