History will never forget Shaikh Zayed for his feats

30 August 2010,

ABU DHABI — The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) on Saturday commemorated the sixth death anniversary of Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the former president and founder of the UAE.

The function at the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque was attended by Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Dr Hamdan Al Mazrouie, Chairman of the GAIAE; Dr Mohammed Mattar Al Kaabi, Director General of GAIAE; and a group of eminent scholars and diplomats.

Dr Hamdan billed the ceremony as a “night of loyalty and renewal of allegiance to our leader and the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Rulers and Crown Princes of emirates and other leaders who are best successors to best predecessors.

“The remarkable achievements made by Shaikh Zayed are still alive, thanks to the leadership of Shaikh Khalifa, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Rulers of the emirates, and General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces,” he said.

“The civilisation we see today in the UAE was the brainchild of Shaikh Zayed’s genius and planning. The peace, security, stability, health and prosperity we enjoy today are the fruits of his efforts. Shaikh Zayed’s far-sighted policies have earned the UAE a prominent status in the community of nations. Shaikh Zayed turned the deserts into lavish green garden,” Dr Hamdan added.

“Shaikh Zayed built schools, universities, health centres and hospitals as well as cities and towns and provided them with services. What happened in the age of the founding father is nothing more than a miracle of the modern civilisation,” he said.

“The bounty of Shaikh Zayed was not confined to just his own people, but went beyond the UAE borders — to the poor and underprivileged across the world without distinctions of race, colour or faith.”

Shaikh Zayed sponsored orphans, offered shelters to the homeless, food to the hungry and clothes to the needy, and supported widows and the deprived,” he added.

Dr Farouq Hamad, Religious Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, praised Shaikh Zayed as one of the greatest statesmen in the modern times, who led his country with his prudence and noble values and morals.

“He established Abu Dhabi as one of the top metropolitans in the world. He built a harmonious society of noble values and his spectacular deeds will be recorded in the annals of history and will never be forgotten,” he said.