Last week, after the tragic bombings that took place in Sinai, one of our Year 13 students; Sherif Shahin came forward and asked to talk to the students during morning assembly. His speech was inspirational to everyone standing, students and teachers. His words came from the heart. This is what he said…well done Sherif, couldn’t have been said better. We post it now as it is ever so important for all of us to remember his words in such difficult times.
Over the past few weeks We’ve seen how the salute has become trivial and humiliating. Personally, I don’t accept this. Some may view the issue insignificant, others may not even care but the fact is that the moment we lose respect for our country, we immediately lose respect for ourselves and for our dignity.
So if we Egyptians fail to show respect and pride for our country, then why would foreigners even attempt to do so?
“Egypt is not a country that we live in but a country that lives within us”. To you and I Egypt is family, it’s where we’ve made our lifelong friends, it’s where our best days our lives have been engraved into our memories and it’s home because “Home is where the heart is”.
Egypt may not qualify to be the best country in the world and may not qualify to meet our aspirations but it certainly is our origin and it’s where we belong. Value your country and be grateful for growing up to find yourself a part of a historically great nation, which gave birth to what later would become known as ‘Western Civilization’, long before the greatness of Greece and Rome.
Last week 31 Egyptians died in Sinai in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks ever, most of who were soldiers including 2 infants. Grateful of what this nation has offered them, they offered their precious lives in return for its protection, continuity and security. They died so that you and I can come to school every morning and get a good education. They died so that we can live to pursue our future.
The least we could do in respect of those who died, those who became orphaned and those who became widowed is to proudly salute our flag and to sing the national anthem out loud because “One likes to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. One likes to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him”
Be proud. Hold your head up high you’re Egyptian.
Ta7ya Masr Ta7ya Masr Ta7ya Masr
Needless to say, the salute brought shivers to all!
On the other hand, the Primary School lowered midway the Egyptian Flag yesterday during the morning assembly in mourning of the 21 Egyptians who lost their lives in Libya.