This nation cannot be divided

As the UAE celebrates its 38th National Day today, Emiratis feel that the time has passed fast since the dream of their fathers was realised when the federation became a reality.

There is no doubt that unity is the dream of all Arabs since the last century, after many colonial powers divided them and almost killed that hope.

Yet, Arabs believed in the unity of destiny as the only way to return to their origins, which made them resist colonial efforts and make union a reality that becomes stronger every day.

Fortunately for the nation, two men shared a dream. One came from Al Ain, and the other from Za'abeel, Dubai.

The two wise leaders, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, dreamt of a nation and its people and, together, they made history.

Their meeting was the beginning of the stage that ended with the federation, as they both believed in the importance of achieving a strong union between the seven emirates, and even between all Gulf states, although circumstances at the time did not allow that.

Many were betting that the federation would not last, because other Arab attempts at unity, such as the union between Egypt and Syria, under the leadership of Jamal Abdul Nasser, were a failure.

Determination

Yet the leaders' strong determination to create a powerful state had no limits. They realised that federation is the only saviour for this region, which underwent all kinds of division, from the days of the Portuguese occupation of the Gulf states to the British Empire and the Sykes-Picot Agreement.

This agreement terminated the Arab dream of a unified state after liberation from Ottoman rule, and eventually led to implanting the state of Israel in the heart of the Arab nation.

The beginning was very hard, but the political will and public support surpassed all difficulties, which led to the introduction of a Constitution and the creation of new mechanisms in a simple society, such as the Federal National Council.

The door was opened wide for Emiratis to get an education, and although illiteracy rates were then high, such a thing is almost unheard of now. One of the main steps was to educate Emirati women.

As a result of the great attention of the founding fathers, female students of the UAE University now outnumber their male counterparts four to one.

Under the political leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, women were empowered to take part in political life.

Emirati women became ministers, which reflected the political will that does not discriminate between nationals.

The historic first meeting between Shaikh Khalifa and university students comes to mind. The meeting was an initiative by Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to bring together the leadership, which had invested in human capital, with the students, who are benefiting from this investment.

Contributing to growth

The federal state has contributed greatly to the growth of Emiratis through education, which was evident from the early beginnings in Al Ain, when the first girls' school was opened.

Today, as we celebrate the 38th National Day, we realise that the first concern of our founding fathers was the human being, which is the point stressed by Shaikh Mohammad when he said that many countries have oil and other resources, but the human being in the UAE is the main resource.

Many important events have taken place in the UAE, and many people thought that the federation was coming to an end.

There were many wars and major conflicts in the region, and many influential foreign powers interfered and jeopardised the region and its security.

Some of these powers were targeting Arab unity, but the UAE overcame all the challenges and came out stronger.

With the onset of the global financial crisis, which reflected negatively on the world's strongest economies, some parties have tried to exploit the situation and create divisions among the Emirati people, who share one past, present and future. These parties have spoken about Abu Dhabi and Dubai as two separate worlds.

Yet the UAE leadership has proved with actions, not words, that the country is strong.

When the crisis passed, Shaikh Mohammad said all those who talk disrespectfully about Abu Dhabi and Dubai should shut up.

He made it clear that these attempts will not work with the UAE leadership and people, who are now celebrating their National Day and renewing their trust in Shaikh Khalifa.

The people are united and the UAE will remain a strong, prosperous country under a leadership that works for the best interests of its people and nation.

May God bestow his mercy upon the founding leaders and bless those who continue the march of federation and prosperity.

Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutawa is a professor of sociology at the UAE University in Al Ain.