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  In our journey from a barren desert to a prosperous developed nation Shaikh Zayed was always there to guide us and lead our way.

  With his departure we lost part of our souls, part of our hearts and we are overwhelmed with grief.

  Didn’t he know when he passed away, that his nation still needs him? Is he resting in peace knowing that his mission and tasks are accomplished? Maybe for the first time he did not take into consideration how much we love him, how much we would miss him and how difficult is for us, the generation of Zayed and Rashid (the Late Ruler of Dubai), to move forward without them?

  O, Zayed! How could we elegize you when you have taught us against that? Should we mourn for you when you have taught us that men’s tears are very precious and should not be shed, but that a person should be content to accept the will of God? Please realise that our grief is endless; that men may weep when the deceased is the one behind their unity and renaissance.

  You departed content that you have accomplished your mission. The united country has a strong base now. Our consolation is that your successor, Khalifa, and all his brothers will carry on with the march till the end and that the leadership now is in wise and responsible hands.

  Now that you have departed I would like to say what I couldn’t say in your overwhelming presence, thinking that I might offend your original down to earth Arab attitude. I want to talk about the great achievements that you always regarded as mere national duty. But for us, we were proud to have a leader who enlightened the whole Arab and Islamic World.

  Let me talk about your major achievements. During your lifetime you accomplished the unification of the Seven Emirates, built on sacrifices and consensus. The United Arab Emirates is the first real Arab unity, and we pray to God that it is not the last one. And when you departed, you have realized the unification of sorrow feelings of the Arab peoples who mourned you from the mountains of Lebanon to the plains of Palestine, to the streets of Cairo. You were remembered in all cities of the Islamic World, where you have extended a helping hand in their time of need.

  It is both, hard and tough, to talk about Zayed. Hard because he is no longer with us and difficult because of the great and comprehensive achievements which formed the life and legacy of Zayed. Therefore, I’ll talk about his role in establishing the UAE, his Arab role and his International and Islamic role. 

On the National level:

  Sheikh Zayed felt the concerns of his homeland since his early days and was disturbed by the artificial “borders” that separated the people. So he set his eyes on realizing the unification of the country, hand in hand with Sheikh Rashid.

  After that he faced the challenges of the vast barren desert with its heavy effects that imposed difficulties on the people. He managed to transform the desert into a green oasis, turned poverty into richness and formulated the personality of the Emarati citizens, stressing always on the necessity of respecting both, the people and the country. Zayed was extremely generous. He has never expected to get anything back for what he gave. He shared the wealth of Abu Dhabi with everyone, related or unrelated.

  With his vision and innate intelligence, he knew that it is essential to diversify the national revenues. For him, the economic security was as important as the national security. Hence, he worked hard to create new revenues in addition to oil, in order to maintain the high social and economic standards of the UAE people.

  Zayed believed that the rich society should serve the man, not the other way around. He dedicated the wealth to maintain domestic peace, and endeavoured to make universal peace. 

On the Arab level: 

  Since his youth, Zayed believed in unity- the unity of the family, tribe, people and nation.

  He worked hard to achieve the unification of the UAE as a first step towards a greater Arab unity. He did not wait for the borders to fall, but moved headlong to support the perseverance of the people of Palestine and has been constantly providing for their survival. He helped to ease the suffering of the Lebanese people and did not forget to build new communities for the poor in Cairo. He did not forget Sudan or any other Arab country. He always took the initiative to save the one in need without them asking. He did not wait for gratitude, because he believed that one should be grateful to God alone. 

  He always supported Arab rights, ready to help bridging gaps in the Arab World. Hence, UAE was the first Arab state to resume relations with Egypt after the relations were severed due to Camp David agreement, in order to keep close relations with the Egyptian people, and because he believed that Egypt must play a lead role in achieving the strategic and political balance in the area.

  He offered the only initiative before the last war in Iraq when he asked Saddam to step down in order to protect the Iraqi people.

  His nationalist feelings were so profound and they were shown in deeds, not only in words. He announced in 1973 that Arab oil is not more precious that Arab blood, and followed that statement with imposing an embargo on oil exports to countries that supported the Israeli occupation of the Arab land. 

On the International and Islamic Level: 

  Zayed has always supported the rightful Islamic causes; at any time and anywhere. Therefore his support was not limited to an area or a continent. Zayed has always called for a civilized dialogue between Islam and other religions.

  Palestine  mourned him despite its worry over Arafat. He was also mourned by Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, the North African Countries, Asian and European countries, Gulf states and every other place that benefited from Zayed’s generosity.

  It is no secret that UAE was always at the forefront in extending moral and material support to Islamic issues all over the world. I could even say that he did not hesitate to support any human cause, regardless of the religious and political balance in the area.

  When we talk about Zayed, his achievements seem endless. But in these historical hours we want to confirm to all Arabs the following:

  Zayed’s march continues. His successor was raised in the shadow of Zayed’s achievements. Our country is in the capable hands of good leaders that were educated by a great man, who was not only a ruler, but a father, leader and guide.

  O, Zayed, we cannot say good-bye. You live in our memories, and we will remember you with every breeze, every dawn, every dusk, and with the birth of every hope. And to your successor Khalifa, we repeat our vow of allegiance to stand behind you, may the Lord guide you to lead the Nation.

 
Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor