In a televised speech on Tuesday marking the 37th anniversary of the 1973 war between Egypt and Israel, President Hosni Mubarak addressed a number of domestic and regional issues with a focus on national unity, the fight against terrorism and the Palestinian national cause.
In a pre-recorded address broadcast on Egyptian state television, Mubarak declared his desire to see Egypt take its place among nations in the 21st century as a "modern, civil state."
Such a state, he said, does not mix religion with politics; guarantees the rights of the citizen in both word and deed; stands by the underprivileged; and preserves national unity among both Muslims and Christians.
“National unity constitutes a red line that I will allow no one to cross,” Mubarak warned. “Those who incite sectarian division must know they are not above the law. They must know we will thwart their attempts to drag religious and intellectual symbols into their conspiracies.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
