Historical Witness:
Zayed, the symbol of bounty,
grant and generosity; Zayed, the man of charity, benevolence,
and kindness: all these words personify H. H. Sheikh Zayed;
yet whoever knows this man closely is his kin. I cannot find
words that honestly describe the character of this man, but
those uttered by his wife: what do you think if the wife is H.
H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairman of Public Women
Union, Honorary President of the Red Crescent Society. As H.
H. Sheikha Fatima knew H. H. Sheikh Zayed closely, she
portrayed him as follows:
“All the deeds of charity,
benevolence, and aids extended by Zayed as well as support to
victimized nations are merely for the sake of Allah without
any awaiting recompense.
These words are deemed to be a
true statement for the account of history, not because I am
his wife, or the mother of his children, yet because I am one
of the citizens of the dear country. I have the honor to see
and hear, day-by-day, and minute-by-minute, all his deeds and
words.
I knew Zayed closely ... lived
with him ... shared the joys and pains of live with him ...
closely I witnessed his hands spread with love, charity and
benevolence without interruption ... I witnessed his sincere
endeavors to extend assistance and aid with all his power
before charity, Zayed does not show favoritism to people of
kin or strangers... he never kept his fist tight... his
initiatives go far beyond expectations. This is the way a man
should be ... this is the way good deeds should be: value and
deed, deep inside himself.
This lesson has been always
taught by Zayed to all his family members, even the youngest;
he planted values and principles in the souls of his family
one by one, till the same grew and matured in their flesh and
blood; he wants such values to be a lesson taught to all.
I count Zayed’s deeds not as
reminder, yet it is only a matter of gratitude and
thankfulness; it is also a matter of an example courageously
set by him to humanity: an example of his underhand
charitable deeds. Some people, as described in Holy Qur’an,
desire to have gratitude extended to favors they do, yet Zayed
does not; he does all good deeds only for the sake of Allah,
he is incited only by his noble character, gallant values on
which he was brought up and to which he was and has always
been adhering to under any circumstances.., and thus, he
paved the way for his offspring who honestly followed his
footsteps.
It is also a matter of an
example courageously set by him to humanity for the
beneficial deeds he does in quiet: to the Red Crescent Society
and its noble message in all fields worldwide; to hospitals;
to mosques where the name of Allah is raised day and night; to
complete villages and cities named after him; to the needy in
sister countries; to the peoples of nations who suffer the
pains of wars, injustice, hostility, and disasters in any spot
in the world; east, west, north or south; to many other ways
which can not be numbered: all by the aid and support of
Allah. Good deeds, generosity engulfing all are countless in
the hands of Zayed under the welfare of his reign; so what are
other words that could be uttered next?!
Our prayers for Zayed are
short... our expression of gratitude is lame.., our following
the examples set by him cannot mount up to a drop in his sea
of generosity... what can be said next?
May Allah save our beloved
Zayed... may Allah keep him safe as our leader, under his
constant endeavors towards the welfare and benefit of mankind
and humanity... may Allah guide his steps to remain fruitful
on each and every occasion: he is a really true leader and a
noble example as a man and as a father.., we extend our best
wishes of success to the Red Crescent Society in all fields.”
Man of
Action, Not of Words:
Each day, and on every
occasion, we are taught by Zayed, the generous, that man
cannot be parted from his acts; and that words cannot gain
reliability through high tones or figuratively phrased
slogans, yet through sincere efforts and honest endeavors to
charity and good deeds without an exception. In this way, our
beloved leader, Zayed, sets a unique example for frenziedly
flowing streams of generosity, granting, and giving without
any discrimination as to race or else... generosity that
extends beyond our borders to safely cover others as an
expression of the unity of human destiny everywhere.
Zayed the leader is the same
“Zayed The Man or the Human Being” and “Zayed the Father”. He
embraces in his heart the warm love for all. He has a great
hope and vast expectation towards his people. His relation
with the member of his family is aimed at implanting the
genuine Islamic and Arabic great values. He always urges them
to make every possible effort in order to promote the status
of their homeland and to achieve the development and progress.
The leader also considers the individuals of the nation as
members of one expanded family. So his relation with them is
commonly unified regardless of their positions and places. His
Highness the President of the United Arab Emirates always
remains the leader and the father, while the new generation
has to be characterized by the genuine values and the
affiliation to the soil of the homeland, besides relatedness
to the sum of the particulars of its history and tradition.
The leader’s principles of
his relation with his people and raising up his sons are based
upon implanting the genuine Islamic and Arabic great values.
All his words, recommendations and speeches do come from the
teachings of Islam and the values and the great Bedouin life.
Definitely, his words are brightened with truthful wisdom that
urges the others to practice the virtues in their lives and to
have to good initiative. He always assures the importance of
helping the needy during difficult times, because he deeply
believes that the ability of giving and generosity are among
the attributes of the Muslim believer who is performing his
duties and responsibilities towards his brothers every where.
His Highness always recites a number of the holy Koran verses
that encourages every Muslim to do the good deeds, in addition
to various Prophet Mohammed’s sayings that promote the human
being’s status when he gives and sacrifices forsake of others.
These high human values have contributed well in spreading the
good reputation of the United Arab Emirates, and made it well
known globally. The UAE is always generous during all
necessary conditions. It has never closed its ears during the
humanitarian calls of relief, regardless of the color and the
nationality of the needy. These are the principles of “Zayed
the Philanthropist” in easing the suffering and the hardships
of others. It is a secure haven and cover where anybody can
seek refuge if he was hardly examined by the difficulties and
crises of life. His Highness always tries implanting these
noble values among all around him. Through such a process the
good tree can give its fruit and spread its kind branches.
Her
Perception of My Thought:
The giving of Zayed the human
being, as well as his generosity, are nor confined to his
personality. Nevertheless, he urged every person in the UAE to
be a running river. He worked seriously to promote the
ethics of good deeds inside the society. His Highness was a
comprehensive approach to encourage the volunteering
activities. Through his instruction and guidance the
humanitarian works could continue, and the Red Crescent
Society still follows up his steps. His Highness always
supports it with the right thinking and financial aids.
Moreover, he backs up the efforts of the society towards
helping the needy through various human projects. His support
to the Red Crescent are limitless; it exceeds the moral
support, guidance and directives. He is always available for
monitoring and following up.
The Mother of
Welfare:
Sheikha Fatima has well
succeeded in comprehending my objectives and thoughts. she
has
transformed these thoughts into successful experiences in the
various fields).
His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin
sultan Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates
describes Sheikha Fatima in the above statement. He has
designed the approach and the system of his march companion to
lead the woman’s movement inside the country. Once His
Highness said: “It is my ultimate hope to see graduate
females, in the fields of medicine, engineering and
diplomacy, from the girls of the UAE”.
From this basis, the Mother of
the Nation, the wife of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin sultan
Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikha
Fatima Bint Mubarak, has moved forward to develop the status
of the UAE women to the highest positions, in order to achieve
the wishes and hopes of the Father, who wants his country to
be one of the best among the developed nations.
The march has started
immediately after one year only of the UAE birth. Once, Her
Highness uttered a statement, then it became a basis to the
women movement in the UAE, where she said: “Education is the
real wealth that we must take care of. Any girl has the lawful
right to have the appropriate education”.
Through her wise views and
wide horizon, she has established Abu Dhabi Women Society, as
the first women gathering in the United Arab Emirates. This
experience has led towards similar establishments such as
Dubai Women Society, Sharjah Women Union society, Umm Al
Mu’mineen Society in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah Women Society and
Um Al Quween Women Society. By 1975, all these societies have
come under the cover of the Federal women Union in August 27,
headed by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak.
The Federal Union was a great
success by itself for the women movement in the country. The
women have achieved a lot; she could even parallel the man
through occupying many high positions in the ministries and
federal departments. She holds many technical and
professional positions as doctors, engineers and teachers.
There are also many female professors in the UAE University.
The Mother
of the Nation:
Her Highness Sheikha Fatima
Bint Mubarak efforts have given their fruit in the field of
free education. Tens of thousands of females have been
graduated from the UAE University. This have been utilized
through her faithful guidance, efforts, follow-up and close
supervision, as the head of the General Women Union. Her
Highness has not limited herself on teaching her daughters,
more over she has dealt with them in trust and confidence to
a great extent, by encouraging them to participate in the
international events. The General Women Union has taken part
in most of these events to represent the UAE women. It has
gone as far as Mexico to attend the First Women Conference in
1975, the second which was held in Copenhagen in 1980. The
third conference was held in Nairobi in 1985, and the fourth
was in Peking in 1995.
Through the charitable
thinking approach which is deeply rooted inside the inner
being of Her Highness, and on the basis of her belief in the
role of the philanthropist activities in the society, Her
Highness has agreed to be the honorary President of the Red
Crescent Society. She has taken this step to assure that the
woman’s role in the volunteering works is a major part of the
women development. Whomever follows this approach in the right
manner can make sure of the truthful intentions and wise
planning of the Mother of the Nation. This is also obvious
through the advanced status achieved by UAE woman.
The Virtuous
Mother:
Her white hands have kindly
extended to wipe out the tears of the miserable people and to
encourage the adoption of the genuine values among the
individuals. She has a unique international initiative for
issuing the Charity Award and the Creative Crescent
Competition for the Special Needs. These great steps and
charitable activities have become well known all over the
world. In December 5, 1997, the united Nations has honored the
President of the General Women Union, the Honorary President
of the UAE Red Crescent Society and the Head of Regional
Harmonization Committee of Women Work in the Arabian Gulf and
the Arabian Peninsula, as a recognition for her efforts
during a quarter of a century in the service of the women
issues and the humanitarian work.
On December 18, 1997 a
ceremony was organized in Abu Dhabi, where Sheikha Fatima Bint
Mubarak was awarded appreciation certificates from six
international organizations. They are UNICEF, UN Fund for
Population, World Health Organization, United Nations
Organization for Woman Development, UN Program of Volunteers
and the Regional Coordination Office for the UN Development
Activities in the United Arab Emirates. The organization have
altogether valued Her Highness dedicated efforts in supporting
the women issues, illiteracy, child care and sponsoring the
handicapped, orphans and old people.
These are only simple
examples of Her Highness efforts for her sons and daughters
inside and outside the UAE. They altogether show their
gratitude and deep appreciation for her, as they are chanting
the following poem:
The love is yours
Kindness is
broader than the heart and the admirer think.
The land is
yours, the Arabism is a palm tree,
Its extended
roots travel among us.
You represent
the affiliated Arab feelings,
And the warm
real ethics.
Oh, Mother of
the Truthful Nation in its relatedness,
That is still
chanting for consolidation.
Charity
Award of H.H.:
Within her generous
framework, as an effort to activate her calls to consolidate
the links of values and coherence in the society, and as the
basis of her open awareness towards the people hearts, she
launched the Award of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak for Charity
in 1997. She has defined its objectives to fight against the
negative phenomena that threaten the new generation by
keeping them far away from their genuine Islamic and Arabic
values.
Through these noble thinking
and wise visions, she has instructed to specialize the award
into:
First Year
for Parental Obedience:
This trend represents the
importance of this subject to have the sound family links, as
the proper basis for the society that will be rich of ideal
values and good deeds. For Her Highness deep belief in these
concepts and bases, she has been so determined to honor those
UAE nationals who have been faithful and charitable to their
parents, because they are considered bright examples for the
others. His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan has
approved this giant step, and participated personally on Oct.
19, 1997 to honor 12 local sons who have the loyal
characteristics towards their parents. The ceremony was held
at Al Bahr Palace.
In another ceremony, Her
Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, the wife of His Highness
the UAE president, the Head of the General women Union and Abu
Dhabi Women Society, and the Honorary President of UAE Red
Crescent Society, has participated in honoring the female
winners of Fatima Bint Mubarak Award for Charity. The ceremony
was attended by Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hamdan the head of the
Supreme Body of the Women Committee at the Red Crescent
Society. The total number of the award winners was 19 honored
local women.
Second Year
1998 for Orphan Sponsorship:
As an affirmation to the
successful educational approach, H. H. Sheikha Fatima Bint
Mubarak has declared that the Award will be directed for the
sponsorship of the orphans. The aim was to link all the
categories of the society with each other, and to have the
fruits of the good intentions. The honoring process covers all
the charity organizations and societies all over the United
Arab Emirates. Another 49 local men and 60 local women have
also been honored in this event.
Third Year
1999 for Relief Volunteers:
she has broadened her efforts
to reach those who like to work quietly, those who bear good
deeds on their shoulders to help others forsake of Allah mercy
and rewards. She has decided to specialize the award for the
relief aid volunteers. She has addressed them by saying: “If
you have received the promise of Allah who can fulfill his
words, by rewarding you with the best prizes, so the simplest
thing that we can give you, as an appreciation for your good
humanitarian and charitable deeds, is to pray for you, that
Allah may support you with good health and blessings in your
life, so that you can have the ability to continue this
graceful path”.
For that year, 43 UAE local
volunteers from the Armed Forces have been honored during the
ceremony, for their great services in the charitable works
inside and outside the country. Another 17 female local
volunteers from the Armed Forces were honored for their vital
roles in promoting the relief works and services.
A Human Lesson for
Iraqi Support:
Recently as a feeling with
the Iraqi people’s suffrages, Her Highness has invited for
increasing the support of the Iraqi people who are facing
difficult human conditions as she ordered the Red Crescent
Authority to keep on its hard pursuits of human support and
meet all requirements defined for the Iraqi families that have
been affected much by the latest events witnessed in Iraq.
Her Highness has affirmed
in many respects that she is following desperately the events
and what the Iraqi civilians especially women and children are
being exposed to every day. She stated that “ What the Iraqi
people is facing of human hardness requires us to unify our
regional and global efforts to support them financially and
materially to be able to pass such a serious status . she
actually greeted all those who have a human feeling and exert
big efforts in a form of donation to lift the suffrage of the
Iraqi people through their support to the Red Crescent
campaigns in all Iraqi cities and villages to carry out their
ambitions human programs and offer big services that have in
fact proved our real response and interaction with the human
issues of the Iraqi people.
This is actually for one
significant end which is the achievement of the Iraqi
stability and security of people. The human program executed
by the Authority in Iraq is estimated at Dh. (18.692.722)
including three stages; the first began before the war and
included the delegation of four missionaries from the Red
crescent Authority to Iraq with all basic provisions to people
and support to the Iraqi (RC) and UNICEF in a kind of
cooperation with the international committee of the Red Cross,
and the international union of Red Crescent and Red Cross
Associations.
These provisions included
medicines, food items, and sheltering supplies such as tents
and blank lets. The second stage began after the war and
included many delegations by sea and land consisting of
thousands of tons of food items, medicines and as well
ambulance vehicles, trucks and water tankers. This stage was
characterized additionally by the Authority’s participation in
the programs of the international Union of Red Crescent and
Red cross association at $ (10.000) in the light of the human
invitations that the Union had directed to our humane
authorities. The Authority also established several water
stations in some Iraqi cities that provided about (700)
thousand gallons of drinking water daily. The third stage
comprehended the establishment of an air bridge directly to
the Airport of Baghdad to carry more provisions and aids to
the Iraqi civilians as well as the preparation of six
hospitals with all their necessary equipment and medicine.
In fact Her Highness
commissioned herself to prepare five orphan houses, one
handicapped center, and one psychiatrist hospital in Baghdad
and ordered the Authority to start immediately executing such
projects and following up their development within these bad
circumstances, the Iraqi people suffered from especially
those special needs such as orphans and handicapped. She
stated that these centers are to be prepared and provided with
all of their equipment and materials from the neighboring
countries of Iraq, and the UAE through the programs of the
human authority for the Iraqi support.
The Crescent
Creative Competition for Special Needs:
As an execution to the
directives of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
the UAE President, and his wife Her Highness Sheikha Fatima
Bint Mubarak the Honorary President of the UAE Red Crescent
Society, to take care of the special needs category, and under
the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan the State Minister for foreign affairs, the president
of the UAE Red Crescent Society, this Society has worked in
cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs since the
beginning of 1998. On the basis of a field study supervised by
Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hamdan the head of the Supreme Body of the
Women Committee at the Red Crescent Society, the wife of His
Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in cooperation
with the World Health Organization, the condition of the
special needs inside the country have been studied. The aim
was to promote the development, educational and social
programs for this category in the society. Consequently, the
Crescent Creative Competition For the Special Needs was
launched under the direct supervision of Her Highness Sheikha
Fatima Bint Mubarak the Honorary President of the UAE Red
Crescent Society.
This competition deals with
various fields that reflect a number of cultural areas, as
well as research that are undertaken on the special needs, and
other activities related to them.
Speech of H.H. Sheikha
Fatima Bint Mubarak:
It is a great honor to receive
such tribute which I highly appreciated and for which I am
very thankful. To me this tribute honor the U.A.E. woman who
seriously involved herself in the fruitful field of work and
who is determined to occupy her well-deserved place and
discharge the duties entrusted to her by contributing in the
public activities and bearing her big responsibilities on the
level of social, political and cultural development. In the
process woman receives strong support from H.H. Sheikh Zayed
Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE who follows up
continuously with the women’s march and causes to provide them
with the appropriate atmosphere to improve and be more
productive. He announced at several occasions: I am a real
supporter for women’s cause”. He expressed his content with
the women achievements in our country saying: The achievements
of women in the U.A.E. within a short span of time makes me
happy and rest assured that what we have implanted yesterday
began to yield today. Thank God the
woman role in society began to materialize for the benefit of
the present and future generations. Her great efforts deserve
to be highly appreciated.
We consider any award or
appreciation we receive from such big organization as a symbol
of pride but at the same it enhances our commitment to
continue working for women’s improvement, happiness and
progress. It is a tribute for women in my country, who took
the lead in the emancipation of illiteracy and showed interest
in education and contemporary culture without ignoring the
deep roots of our history, culture and national identity. We
do believe that the family is the nucleus of society and the
society progress and prosperity can only be the achieved by
the unity of the family members and their adherence to the
noble values and exalted principals of our civilization and
religious teachings.
