On the occasion of Labor Day, the Syria Times publishes the following landmark speech Delivered by H.E. the Late President Hafez Al Assad in Conclusion of the Productivity Competitions and the National Voluntary Labor Day on 10.11.1995
Brothers and sons, sisters and laborers,
Amidst the celebrations of our people of the silver jubilee of the corrective movement, comes your contributions truly expressing gratitude, devotion and the spirit of struggle which singled out the working classes in Syria over its history.
Since the dawn of the correction and the 8th of March revolution, the working classes had a prominent role to play in Syria which came as an extension to their role they have already expressed at different stages of our modern history prompted by patriotism and belief in the national values.
You have tirelessly persevered to revive the weeks of productive competitiveness and days of the national voluntary work one year after another concurrently with the anniversary of the corrective movement in appreciation of the existing nexus between you and the corrective movement.
Your efforts culminated due to the amelioration of production, shoring up the national economy, brain work and adapting the slogan of self reliance benefitting from the country`s potentials and national resources where you made remarkable achievements of which we are enormously proud.
Twenty five years span is a definite time calculation, but what has been achieved during it represents an era of productivity. The great evolution and the fast-moving development Syria has witnessed over the past twenty five years in the economic, social and political aspects belong to the leading role you have perfectly done.
These great achievements coupled with your brotherly farmers have multiplied the agricultural production many folds and provided food security to the people in addition to security, stability and national unity on the grounds of enhancing our capability to counter all challenges befalling the nation.
Our nation boasts of awareness, altruism and sacrifice. The country is impervious to hardships and debilities but moves forward with back-to-back successes and victories. Verily, our nation is able to hit its targets and achieve aims thanks to the people who work towards such goals.
At this juncture and in the battle for peace, we are strong because of the will of our people and the valiant armed forces who are defending the nation as we are waging this battle without prejudicing our rights and principles.
I avail this opportunity to bless your great efforts as I am quite confident of the capabilities of our people to achieve the promising future we have been looking forward to.
Let us persist with resolve and determination, which branded our march over the past twenty five years, to continue our struggle for the coming years in order to achieve prosperity and welfare to our posterity they duly deserve.
Dr. Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim
alibrahim56@hotmail.com