UAE martyr: ‘I could feel my brother’s presence at the celebration’

Abu Dhabi: He was martyred in Yemen, but his spirit was present during the grand celebrations held in Abu Dhabi on November 7 for the first batch of UAE soldiers returning to the country for the rotation of troops, said Marwan Ali Al Hosani, elder brother of martyr Mohammad Ali Al Hosani said.

As he watched the victors come back to a fitting welcome, it sparked a deep sense of pride in his country, said Marwan.

Mohammad, who was killed in a rocket attack in Yemen, was laid to rest on September 5 at the Bani Yas Cemetery.

“I felt like each one of the returning soldiers was my brother. Deep down, I had hoped to welcome Mohammad back with rest of the soldiers. However, I could strongly feel his presence on that day at the ceremonies,” Marwan said.

“Mohammad was a 31-year-old brimming with ambition and perseverance. He had been serving the armed forces for over 15 years, informed Marwan. “Today, Mohammad is our source of pride and honour.”

Marwan said that he encourages every citizen to fight for justice, uphold integrity and fairness and use the examples of brave UAE martyrs — who will eternally remain the country’s icons of nationalism — as their role models.

Speaking of his brother’s acts of bravery and loyalty, Marwan said that people often spend thousands of dirhams to obtain university degrees, but the most valuable certificate is one achieved through sacrificing one’s own life to curb political injustice.

The month of September, said Marwan, in the aftermath of the news of his brother’s martyrdom, sped by quickly as their family was visited by leaders and others, and thousands of condolences poured in from people of different backgrounds. October, however, was a little harder as the reality of Mohammad’s absence finally sunk in, said Marwan. And now, the plethora of humanitarian initiatives for the martyrs’ families and the upcoming Commemoration Day (November 30) are helping the family’s grief become bearable. “Just as we eagerly await National Day every year, Commemoration Day is another day to look forward to. It is a day for us to remember the sacrifices and valour of our martyrs and honour their families for raising true examples of patriotism. The names of the martyrs will forever be a part of UAE history,” Marwan added.

“I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to our leaders who provided us with every kind of aid we needed to make it through the grief. A martyr’s office dedicated to looking after their families has been set up. We are so fortunate to have such sympathetic leaders.”

Echoing similar sentiments, the martyr’s mother said: “Mohammad is my son, my martyr, my hero. It was a shock at first [to realise that he was no more]; a fact hard to grasp. But I took a few moments to calm down and realised that this is possibly the best place he can be in. May he attain immediate access to heaven along with all the other brave martyrs,” she said.

The recent humanitarian initiatives, people’s good wishes and, more importantly, UAE’s pioneering leadership which continues to provide unwavering support to all the martyrs’ families, have been instrumental, Mohammad’s mother said, in helping her and mothers of other martyrs cope with their grief and recover quickly.

“For instance, Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, dedicated the first Emirati Women’s Day, which falls on August 28, to all the mothers of martyrs, which was a generous gesture.

“I feel honoured to be surrounded with so much love and support from everyone. I couldn’t have asked for a better country or leadership,” she said.