A day to unite and recall sacrifices

The second Commemoration Day is a moment to think of duty and loyalty

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visits Wahat Al Karama, a memorial of national heroes. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court – Abu DhabShow more

For the second year in a row, the country will fall silent at 11.30am this morning, as people across the country observe a minute’s silence to mark Commemoration Day. Men and women, Emiratis and expatriates, will gather to pay tribute to those who have given service and sacrifice for the country.

This year, the second Commemoration Day, there is a monument to this sacrifice. The 90-metre sculpture at the Wahat Al Karama site near the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a physical representation of the best values of the day: large tablets, leaning against one another, symbolise the importance of standing together in the face of threats and in the service of something larger.

These are the values that continue to inspire the UAE, its citizens and residents. Commemoration Day is a moment to recall the martyrs of the past and reflect on their service as a model for all of us. There will, of course, be many who will feel sad on this day. That is to be expected: remembering those who sacrificed means remembering the individuals and the memories they inspired.

But it also means recalling their actions and the reasons for their sacrifice. Their strength and loyalty ought to inspire us and their solidarity ought to remind us of a larger mission. As they stood up for the values of the country, so should we, in whatever way we can.

The memorial is a visual reminder of the message behind Commemoration Day. As it juts out of the ground, it reminds us that there is a constant struggle for the present. The prosperity all around us, both in our own lives and in the wider country, is the result of past struggles.

The present and the future are not achieved alone. They are built by the sacrifices of those who came before. It is because of the struggle of our ancestors and predecessors that there is a present. And in this present, it is important that we stand together, in remembering the past and in looking forward to the future. By remaining united, this country has been built, and only by remaining united can we properly pay tribute to those who came before and face the future.

That is what Commemoration Day reminds us to do and it is what those who are remembered would want.Those who are no longer with us sacrificed so that we who are here can live in peace in the present and look with ambition to the future.