Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, has paid tribute to the martyrs of the righteous nation.

"To begin my speech, I would like to read the words of Allah Almighty: 'Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return.They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.' "In light of this Quranic revelation, I am proud to say that our dear UAE has lost four of its brave soldiers, who are part of the Arab Coalition forces within 'Operation Restoring Hope'. Their helicopter was targeted in Shabwa Governorate, which is under the control of Al Qaida, and an area that is out of control of the coalition," he added.

"The aircraft suffered a malfunction that led to its crash and the martyrdom of our brave soldiers, who were performing their national duty to achieve peace and security, establish legitimacy and build a promising future for our Yemeni brethren. Where they gave their pure souls, for the sake of justice and the performance of duty in the fields of honour, we can only say that we belong to Allah Almighty and to Him we return.

''We are proud of the sacrifices of these heroic martyrs, and they are the most precious of men, the proudest and noblest of men. We ask Allah Almighty to grant them places in his heavens and Shower His mercy upon their souls," he further added.

"I extend my condolences to their families and relatives, and to all the great people of the UAE. As we all pray for the martyrs of the UAE, we also pray to Allah Almighty to heal the wounded in this painful incident, and to grant our Yemeni brethren a near victory, Allah Almighty willing," Sheikh Nahyan stated.

"It is not known to many that the group of soldiers, who were on board the plane during its emergency landing and that crashed to the ground, was a group representing the elite of the UAE’s finest, including the sons of the Al Nahyan family, who were injured during the incident, including Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who we wish a speedy recovery, for both him and his companions in this incident," he added.

"It is worthy to note that both H.H. Sheikh Dhiyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud Al Qasimi were also injured last year in a brutal attack on the Emirates camp, where a great number of brave UAE nationals were martyred.

"The involvement of H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan in serving the country in this manner is a matter of national pride, creating an exemplary role in a sincere and patriotic manner, and beside him stand many members of the ruling families, including H.H. Dhiyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Thiyab bin Khalifa bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Mohammed bin Sorour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Shakhbut bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, and Ahmed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi," Sheikh Nahyan said.

"This is a clear example, that all the sons and daughters of the UAE, including the sons and daughters of the country’s ruling families, are greatly unified and in harmony, and always embody the values and principles established within us by the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

"Under his leadership, we learned the principles of patriotism, belonging, loyalty and relentlessly pursuing the greater good of the nation and its goals. We have grown up watching him at the forefront and vanguard in defending our homeland, sacrificing all that is dear and precious, and leading in every battle for the success of our dear homeland.

"We all grew up under his guidance, learning that our love for the nation is a duty and commitment, and to work with devotion for the sake of advancement and success," he added.

"The participation of the sons of the ruling families in Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen, and the injury to one of our cherished sons in this painful incident, highlight the fact that the sons of the UAE are united, and that the sons of the ruling families are reporting for honourable duty and sacrifice to serve the nation with utter determination, as a duty of all the sons of this nation. The sons of the ruling families have proven that the ruling house is united, and that all the sons and daughters of the country, without exception, are characterised by courage, while contributing to a sincere national act of sacrifice and charitable work, without expecting any returns," he further said.

"As a member of the Al Nahyan family and one of its sons, I assure you that all of us, and all the sons and daughters of the UAE, will sacrifice our lives to defend the homeland and pursue its progress and development.

"We, together with all the sons and daughters of the UAE, have the heart of one man, and in our determination for victory we sacrifice for the UAE to become the land of the good, with prosperity and stability.'' "It is a matter of pride that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is following the same approach that we have learned from the founder of the nation, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may Allah Almighty’s mercy be upon him. He was a historical leader and the founder of his distinguished school of wise leadership," he further said.

"We, the sons of Al Nahyan and the people of the UAE, are proud and honoured that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan embodies the vision and achievements of this pioneering school of leadership, and of fulfilment, building, reconstruction and continuous work, for the sake of the happiness and progress of the sons and daughters of the nation, and our desire to raise the status of the UAE among the leading countries of the world," he affirmed.

"Today, I say to you, and with great pride and honour for this nation, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is the role model that we can learn from in our everyday lives, in self-confidence, pride for our nation, wisdom and decision-making. From him, we can learn the importance of the UAE as a society that is careful in developing its people, believing in their lord, upholding loyalty to the country, participating in its desired roles, unifying the words of the Arab world, and maintaining its great status and prestige among the leading nations and peoples of the world," he added.

"I refer to all of this in my speech for this great event, where we all represent the meaning of sacrifice, loyalty and a sense of belonging to our nation. This is because I consider His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed as the embodiment of all these meanings. I consider him a great leader, who instils the spirit of enthusiasm and devotion among all the sons and daughters of the homeland," Sheikh Nahyan further stated.

"We are proud of the sacrifices of our noble martyrs. At the same time, we are proud of the wise leadership and the strong ties between His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and the people of the UAE. We are also witnessing strong emotional and patriotic feelings across the UAE, which embodies everything we hear and touch around us, through the sons and daughters of the UAE, in strength and determination and in pride and honour, in the slogan, ‘We all are Mohamed bin Zayed’," he added.

"During this great event, with its various meanings, it reaffirms, for us who live on this good land, our strong attachment to our valiant armed forces and our feelings for this nation, in terms of pride and honour, and the sacrifices we have made to embody the love of this country and our loyal belonging, and the efforts of the nation’s sons in achieving the nobility and dignity of the nation," he stated.

"We also feel pride and honour for our wise leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, may Allah Almighty grace him. May Allah Almighty protect the Emirates and save its loyal leaders, and safeguard her sons and always carry her banner high, and grant her victory and justice. Amen," he concluded.

Source: Wam