President El-Sisi's Speech at the Cultural Symposium, Marking October War Victory

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful"

The great people of Egypt,

The proud and honorable people,

Today, Egypt celebrates the 49th anniversary of the glorious October War victory, the day of pride and dignity. It is the day when the Egyptian army emerged to challenge the impossible and conquer it. It is the day of demonstrating the capability of the Egyptian and his superiority during the most difficult moments, any nation can pass through.

The 6th of October, during which Egypt realized the miracle of the crossing, was a day that was destined to remain eternal, not only in the hearts of Egypt and its people, but also in the conscience of the entire Arab nation and the peace-loving peoples of the world. Egypt did not only fight to defend its land, but also to achieve peace, which it succeeded to establish and preserve its gains.

The great people of Egypt,

In the glorious October war, there were men, whom God Almighty guided to make the fateful decisions that changed the map of regional and international balances.

From here, I extend salutation to the soul of the martyr and hero President Anwar Al-Sadat, the hero of war and peace, who courageously made the decision of the great crossing, despite the ghost of defeat which haunted everybody … another salutation for his bravery to make the decision of peace, which turned the page on the past and opened up prospects of the future for the entire region.

From this platform, as an Egyptian citizen and as the President of Egypt, I extend salutation, filled with reverence and respect, to everybody who contributed to making the greatest days of Egypt in its modern history. I also extend salutation, filled with pride and appreciation, to the Egyptian Armed Forces, the national military institution, which I am honored to be one of its sons.

They symbolize bravery and diligence, resoluteness and challenge, a fortress for this safe land and a guardian of the resources of its great people. The unique relation between the people and the army will remain, God willing, a sacred matter, an eternal guarantor for the security and stability of this homeland. A salutation from the bottom of the heart goes to the souls of the martyrs, our heroes who gave us their very lives for this homeland to live free, proud and independent.

The great people of Egypt,

The essence of the glorious October war lies in the struggle to change the reality from defeat to victory, from darkness to light, and from bitterness and pain to pride, dignity and glory. My solid belief is that changing reality was not to take place and will not take place through words, slogans and wishes, but through a long-term integrated vision and scientific planning and by providing mechanisms and factors for success, then come vigorous action and robust will and determination in to order to transform vision and hope into a new reality that dominates and overrules the stumbles of the past.  

You may agree with me that these are the exact meanings and values we are living today amid the battle of construction and development which we have been fighting for years. The goal is to truly change our reality in a sustainable manner, seeking the new republic, which we are looking forward to, that would meet our long-awaited ambitions, generation after generation. These ambitions are embodied in the nation to have a better future, as ancient as its civilization and as great as its history.

I see the new republic with the eye of certainty.  We will achieve, God willing, the miracle of a safe and stable crossover. This republic aims to achieve the aspirations of this and future generations, set out on the path of progress, and possess the capabilities in all fields.

Accordingly, Egypt, God willing, becomes a modern, developed country in which Egyptians enjoy decent living standards. As fate would have it, the October generation has lived through historical phases with major burdens. As fate would have it, the current generations have also lived an unprecedented stage in Egypt's extended history, witnessing tremendous events and repercussions, at the security, political and economic levels, taking place all over the world.

The global economic crisis from which everyone on this planet is reeling is an example of what we see, experience, and live. We are trying as much as we can to overcome it with sincere effort and diligent work for the sake of our dear homeland.

In light of these events and circumstances, there are still forces of evil harboring all meanings of wickedness and hatred. They started spreading their poison in the arteries of the country by spreading lies, slanders and falsehoods with the aim of making citizens lose confidence and undermining their morale.

However, I am confident that Egyptians, the civilization creators, are bigger and stronger than those misleading and false endeavors and that they have an innate ability to distinguish, with their pure heart and conscious mind, between the invaluable and valuable; destruction and construction; sincerity and love for the homeland and people and malice and hatred for this country and its people.

Finally, on our day of celebration of the miraculous crossing, I would like to tell you: “The eye of history is beholding you ... O sons of the great people of Egypt write new history of glory for yourselves, upholding the noble status befitting Egypt’s immortal name ... continue the establishment of the New Republic and the construction of a new future and reality that we all aspire for and work hard towards, with genuine intentions to Allah, the homeland and the people."

Thank you so much

Many happy returns

May safety, peace and progress prevail in Egypt

with its great people and brave army 

Long Live Egypt

Long Live Egypt

Long Live Egypt

May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon you all”