On the Path of Freedom, We Walk Side by Side

Translated by Mahmoud Al-Shafei

Reviewed by Mohaned Mohammed

Dear Brother, President Houari Boumédiène,

Brothers and Friends:

As millions of our people and I listen to your salute and the sincere brotherly sentiments you have expressed, one cannot help, with one's heart full of loyalty and appreciation, but recall in a single moment the long history that has bound the peoples of the United Arab Republic and Algeria. This history, forged through the bonds of struggle, has completed the features of our genuine brotherhood. It is as if the blood flowing through the veins of the millions you met from Port Said to Aswan is the same blood flowing through the veins of their brothers in Algeria, from the mountain peaks of the Aurès to the valleys of Oran.

The days you spent among us passed quickly. Most of your visit was dedicated to meeting the people at their work sites, where they are engaged in the battle of construction, a battle that commands their focus and embodies their hopes for achieving great socialist development. While we were able to devote time to our lengthy discussions, I feel that your meetings with the people complemented those talks. It is there, in the field and at the sites of labor, that the people simply define the path we tread. I do not doubt for a moment that the path chosen by the people of the United Arab Republic is the same path chosen by the people of Algeria.

It is the path of freedom; we walk it side by side, quickening our pace with determination and persistence. We know this path is long, for freedom represents social liberation alongside political liberation. Before the Revolution, our people’s greatest aspiration was to rid ourselves of British colonialism and end the monarchy that collaborated with it. The 1952 Revolution, took place, ending the era of British occupation and the monarchy, and declaring the Republic. The Egyptian people reclaimed the Suez Canal from the exploitation of global capitalism and defeated the Tripartite Aggression in 1956. Yet, all of this was only the beginning of the path... the path of freedom... social freedom. Steps followed in rapid succession, each one demanding a new pace before we could even catch our breath. This is because the concepts of freedom have expanded in the consciousness of this people. Freedom is no longer merely a struggle against occupation within a small homeland; it is a struggle against colonialism in the wider world. No nation can live in security while there are predatory forces daily planning to expand their spheres of influence. Furthermore, freedom is no longer just the liberty of the nation as a whole, but has become the freedom of the individual within that nation, liberating them from everything that holds them back, from exploitation, feudalism, and the dominance of capital. Freedom has become synonymous with socialism: sufficiency and justice.

Dear Brother:

Colonialism no longer moves in its old, worn-out forms; it has developed new methods to hide behind. It hides behind reactionary forces that view its survival as essential to their own. It hides behind Zionism, which seized the governance of Palestine to threaten the Arab world. It hides behind racial discrimination, which seized power in Rhodesia and South Africa to threaten the liberated African world. It also hides behind economic pressures, the control of global markets, and the vast scientific progress that creates a massive gap between it and other nations, keeping them in a state of constant need. The struggle against all of this creates new concepts understood by our peoples, who perceive the way forward and bear their share of the burden.

I have told you before, my brother, that your visit came at the optimal time; therefore, I say our talks have achieved the ideal goal. These discussions were not consumed by understanding the reality of our affairs, for our reality is one and well-known. Nor were they consumed by unifying our concepts, ideas, and objectives, for our thoughts and goals have always been one. Rather, the most important part of our dialogue was the exploration of future possibilities. There is no doubt that new ambushes lie ahead on our path of development. The alliance of colonialism and reactionary will not remain silent as it sees the edifice of socialism rising over the lands of the United Arab Republic, Algeria, and other parts of the Arab world. Likewise, we shall not remain silent in the face of the movements of the colonial-reactionary alliance.

Dear Brother and Friend:

As you return tomorrow to the brotherly people of Algeria, I entrust you with all the sentiments of affection and brotherhood from myself and the Egyptian people. This is a people that sees in you a struggling brother, a hero, and an envoy of a nation that has set an example in struggle, courage, and sacrifice, reaching a standard that remains beyond the grasp of many other nations, despite the resources their circumstances provided.

Let us all stand in salute to our dear friend and brother, President Houari Boumédiène, and the distinguished delegation accompanying him. Let us salute the special relationship between the Egyptian and Algerian revolutions for the decisive and effective role they have played in human history.

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Speech by President Gamal Abdel Nasser at a dinner in honor of President Houari Boumédiène.