President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi arrived on Tuesday 4-10-2022 at El Manara International Convention Center (MICC) in New Cairo district to attend the 36th Cultural Symposium of the Armed Forces, marking the 49th anniversary of the Sixth of October war victory.

The symposium, titled "October...Will of Nation", is held in the presence of Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki and a number of ministers and senior state officials. 

The president was received by Defense and Military Production Minister Mohamed Zaki and top military brass.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi posed for a photo op with a number of heroes who participated in the glorious war of the 6th of October.

Minister of Defense and Military Production Lt. General Mohamed Zaki, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lt. General Osama Askar and a number of top military brass participated in the photo.

Following the photo op, El-Sisi shook hands with a number of the October war heroes.

Then El-Sisi and the Armed Forces' personnel gave a military salute to the October war heroes. 

The celebration   started with a recitation of verses of the Holy Quran by Sheikh Ayman Aql.

After that, actress Heba Magdy presented a show under the rubric "Torch of Victory," in which he said: "On the occasion marking the 49th anniversary of the October War victory, we will launch "Torch of Victory" that will be handed from one generation to another."

She pointed out that the torch will be carried until it reaches the Suez Canal at the Ismailia memorial, where the Egyptian flag was raised after our brave soldiers had victoriously crossed to the eastern side of the canal in October War.

She added that the torch will be illuminated until the next year to mark the celebration of the golden jubilee of October victory.

 

The artist Ahmed Abdel Aziz presented a documentary film about the heroes of the glorious October War under the title "Heroes of Gold", which shows the achievements of the October War heroes, including El Sa’aqa Forces, who were first to cross the Canal and first to initiate the fight and end it.

The documentary focused on Battalion 139, who stood up as human shields against Israeli tanks and prevented their advancement toward Ismailia during the crossing of Egyptian troops.

The battalion nipped in the bud any hopes for the Israeli troops to enter Ismailia after an articulated battle that occurred between October 19 and October 23, 1973, which Israel calls the “Mango Fields” battle, but in Egypt it is called the “Abu Attwa” battle.

During the ceremony, popular Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel Wahab and child Mohamed Osama performed a song to mark the 49th anniversary of the October War victory.

The song shed light on the beloved land of Sinai and the heroes who courageously fought and died, sacrificing their soul and blood for the sake of homeland.

Another documentary film was shown during the 36th Cultural Symposium of the Armed Forces.

The film shed light on the social life and the difficulties faced by the Egyptian nation during the October war.

The film also involved popular actors including Ahmed Bedir, Islam Gamal, Kamal Abu Raiya, and Samira Abdel Aziz.

Bedir said that the situation nowadays is far better than previous years, given the mammoth projects which are currently being implemented in the country.

Kamal Abu Raiya, meanwhile, said that there was a state of despair in the past in the cities of the Canal and in all the governorates of Egypt.

The October war victory came after endurance and steadfastness of the heroes and the unity of people and army, he went on to say.

An artistic performance was made on the tunes of national songs related to October war.

Meanwhile, actor Ahmed Fouad Selim gave an introduction to a documentary film entitled "Our will is the history."

The film drew attention to the difficult conditions which took place in the country during October war along with the economic and political conditions during this period.

Also, a documentary film entitled "Yaqeen" was displayed. The documentary is based on a true story of a young girl named "Yaqeen", the daughter of a Takfiri leader who used her as a human shield when there were military raids in North Sinai.

The documentary showed that during military operations in North Sinai, a report was received by the military intelligence that a Bedouin saw a group of Takfiri elements, who were escaping with a wounded girl and leaving her. When the forces arrived at the site where the young girl was left lying in a bad health condition they provided her first aid to save her life. She was transferred to El-Arish Military Hospital for treatment.

The head of the Armed Forces Officers' Affairs Department announced the decision on the promotion of the Naval and Air Forces commanders, which was ratified by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ratified on Tuesday 4-10-2022.

The decision included the promotion of Naval Forces Commander Ashraf Ibrahim to vice admiral and Air Forces Commander Mahmoud Fouad Mohammed Abdel Gawad to air marshal.

Following the announcement, President El-Sisi shook hands with the commanders of the naval and air forces and gave them a military salute.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was, also,  keen to honor the wives of a number of heroes of the October War in appreciation of their support to their husbands during that period of Egypt's history.

President El-Sisi saluted the wives of the October War heroes, asking them to pose for a photo op.

At the end of the cultural symposium, the national anthem of the Arab Republic of Egypt was played.