Abu Dhabi: One minute of silence was observed across the nation at 11.30am on Monday, marking the country’s deepest respect for its martyred sons.
In the hushed stillness of the UAE’s first Commemoration Day ceremony here on a cool sunny morning, fallen soldiers were honoured by UAE leaders who joined senior officials and families of the martyrs in the recitation of Surat Al Fatiha from the Quran.
Broadcast live via television screens across seven emirates, an entire country watched a defining moment in history unfold as the leaders stood in unison during the remembrance ceremony at the Martyr’s Monument site adjacent to Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
Respect and national pride were palpable in a moving display of a mourning nation’s most profound gratitude.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, led the ceremony.
They were flanked by Supreme Council members, Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi of Sharjah, Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi of Fujairah, Shaikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi of Ajman, Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah, and Shaikh Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla of Umm Al Quwain.
A volley of 21 cannon shots were fired in thunderous salute.
An aerial flypast by Emirati fighter jets graced the occasion before the UAE flag at half-mast was raised high to notes of the national anthem drifting in a gentle breeze.
The leaders honoured the families of martyrs with the Order of the Martyr in recognition of the Emirati martyrs’ sacrifices in serving the nation.
A police marching band struck a drum roll followed by an array of national songs, stirring a sense of patriotic zeal among observers at the ceremony site set to host a martyr memorial when construction begins next year.
A long list of top UAE luminaries joined their leaders
Also present were Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, and Shaikh Rashid Bin Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Quwain.
Family members of the UAE martyrs donning traditional dress or army attire took to social media platforms to express delight and pride over being able to witness what they considered one of the country’s pivotal milestones in history.
Aisha Al Dahmani, the niece of the UAE’s first martyr Salem Suhail Bin Khamis Al Dahmani, said in a WhatsApp broadcast message: “Today is an important day in history, a day that is dedicated to the heroes of this country. Their names will go down in history. May God grant them immediate access to paradise #Martyr’s_Day.”
A number of initiatives, documentaries and poems were also brought to life to mark Commemoration Day, which will now fall on November 30 every year.
An Arabic hashtag read: “We will never forget your sacrifices”, and was inaugurated to honour the sacrifices of the UAE martyrs. According to reports, the hashtag trended extensively via the social media platform, Twitter.
Shal&Shela, an independent media organisation that was set up by a group of Emiratis who aim to portray the UAE in a positive light through short screenings, launched a documentary on Monday as a tribute.
With Emirati voices singing the UAE’s national anthem in the background, the video showcases a number of Emirati men and women, spanning different generations, hold hands together as they take a stroll down the road.
Shaima Jasem, one of the documentary’s directors as well as Ahmad Bin Eid, one of the documentary’s actors, said that they decided to launch their work on November 30 to pay respect and show their admiration.
They also explained that the idea of different generations holding hands was inspired by their faith in the country’s engraved spirit of unity and cooperation.
Meanwhile, UAE poet Ahmad Al Mazroui wrote a poem solely dedicated to the country’s Commemoration Day, which hailed the sacrifices of martyrs and highlighted that they are now in a better place.
Al Mazroui added that poems as such are influential in conveying and mirroring how people feel about a certain historical moment in time, with the Commemoration Day being an example.
Also present were Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser and Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, and other shaikhs, ministers, senior government and Armed Forces officials, and families of martyrs.
