Ras Al Khaimah: Thousands of Emiratis congregated on Saturday in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain to pay their respects to their compatriots who were martyred while fighting Al Houthi rebels in Yemen. As many as 45 Emirati soldiers were killed in the Saudi-led Operation Restoring Hope on Friday.
In Ras Al Khaimah, His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, led Saturday’s prayers at the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Cries from relatives of the martyred could be heard from the heart of the crowd as they, too, tried to invoke peace for their kin’s souls. “We are from God and to Him we shall return,” they said.
In Ajman, His Highness Shaikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, offered prayers during the funeral of Emirati martyr Abdullah Ali Hassan Al Hammadi at Shaikh Zayed Mosque in Al Jurf, Ajman. Shaikh Ammar Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, also offered prayers.
In Fujairah, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, led worshippers in offering funeral prayers for the martyrs from Fujairah. He praised the sacrifices of UAE’s heroes and prayed to Allah Almighty to bestow His mercy upon the martyrs and grant their families the patience and solace to bear the loss.
Before the funeral prayers, Shaikh Mohammad, along with other shaikhs and armed forces officers, received the bodies of the martyrs at Fujairah airport, where a special military ceremony was held to mark the return of the martyrs’ bodies.
In Umm Al Quwain, His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, offered funeral prayers for the nation’s martyr, Saeed Obaid Bin Fadil Al Ali, at the Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Mosque in Umm Al Quwain.
Offering prayers alongside Shaikh Saud Bin Rashid were a number of shaikhs, Armed Forces personnel and mourners.
Twelve of the 45 martyrs are believed to be citizens of Ras Al Khaimah. Their bodies were flown near the Grand Mosque in a twin-blade helicopter. A number of ambulances then brought them closer to the mosque’s entrance. The bodies, shrouded in the UAE flag (a symbol of their martyrdom), were then carried in succession into the mosque by the martyrs’ comrades and relatives as the muezzin prayed for their souls.
An assembly of decorated military officers saluted as the bodies were brought into the mosque. The massive turnout rendered the mosque’s interior inaccessible and though the summer sun beat down on the multitude of Emiratis standing outside, they remained sombre and still, uttering invocations under their breaths.
“Today is the saddest day in our country’s history,” Mohammad, who is due for conscription next year, said, during the funeral prayers in Ras Al Khaimah. “But looking around now, at this huge number of people gathered o pray for the souls of the martyred, fills me with pride. We are brought to solidarity through a collective sadness.”
Mohammad, who declined to divulge his full name, said he wasn’t deterred from joining the armed forces by the incident.
“It is a national duty,” he said,
An Emirati who was in uniform at the mosque said his comrades became a symbol of solidarity in the GCC.
“Look around, cars are parked for at least a 2km radius,” he said, “Though we are mourning the deaths of our martyrs, we are also respecting the cause of their death. They did not die in vain. Like Mohammad said, we are bonded in this collective grief but also by a feeling of pride. May God put their souls at rest.”
With inputs from WAM
