Khalifa confers Martyr Medal on nation's heroes

The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has instructed that Emirati martyrs be awarded the Martyr Medal in memory, tribute and gratitude for their ultimate sacrifices and dedication for performing their national duty.

The accolade will be presented to the families of martyrs during an official ceremony to be held tomorrow.

November 30 a day of gratitude and tribute to nation's martyrs: Khalifa

The President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a statement on the occasion of the first Martyrs Day on November 30, 2015.

Following is the statement in full:

"Martyrs Day is a landmark national occasion in our country; a day on which we are inspired by the patriotism of our heroes, take them as our role models in the defence of our dear homeland, and pray to Almighty God to rest their souls in Paradise, granting patience and solace to their bereaved families.

“Nations only grow by the heroic acts of their valiant servicemen, who are recorded in the annals of history for their ultimate sacrifices. It is through these sacrifices by our martyrs that we build the strength and glory and pride of our nation in the current and future generations. They will be filled with glory, honour and dignity among nations and will also feel proud of those martyrs before all others, writing in brightly-lit chapters of our history their courageous acts and their brave initiatives on the battlefields. 

“The 30th day of November every year will always be remembered as a day of gratitude and of tribute to our martyrs. A day on which we take the utmost care of martyrs’ families, responding to their needs for education, health, and other basic services, including a house with all modern amenities. They will always remain dear members of our families and the provision of a dignified life for them will also take a noble place amongst the top priorities of our Government, on an equal footing with all others.

“The Martyrs Day we mark today should be a momentous day, full of giving and generosity for the sake of preserving the capabilities of the nation and its territorial integrity. It should serve as a motive for people to enroll enthusiastically for their national service, so as to learn how they may properly protect and preserve our nation’s honour and respect.

“While celebrating Martyrs Day, we should learn how to be resilient, so that we may confront challenges and events, dealing with and responding to crises. National service builds and develops our youth, so that they may become men who sincerely believe in their God, religion and nation, standing with their wise leadership by word and deed and doing whatever is needed to raise the stature of our nation amongst us.

“May God guide your steps to success and protect our nation from any harm."