Sadat's 100th Birthday Commemorated

By: Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Dec. 26 (SEE) - Egypt commemorated yesterday the 100th birthday of late President Anwar al-Sadat, always known hero at war and peace.

In Mit Abu al-Kum village, 75 km away from Cairo, where he was born, his house had been turned into a museum to commemorate the birth date of their leader.

The late president's birthday was celebrated by the villagers, the governor of Monufia along with other officials, and army men, inside the 200-square-meter museum.

The house where the museum is located was built in 1962 when Sadat was chairman of the parliament. It was attached to a villa and vast gardens.

The museum contains the late president's army uniform, the suit he wore when he delivered his famous speech in the Knesset (parliament) in Israel, books, shoes, and photos with world leaders.

The museum that was established in 2006 is visited by around 10,000 people annually, Xinhua quoted Attiya Atef, manager of the museum, adding it also opens for students who study the history of Sadat.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed a bill in August to honor Sadat's effort in maintaining peace in the Middle East.

The Egyptian embassy in Washington said in a press statement that the bill is "in recognition of his (Sadat's) heroic achievements and courageous contributions to peace in the Middle East."

Sadat is the first Arab president to ever be honored with such an award from the U.S. Congress. Besides, a gold medal was also given to his wife Gihan Sadat in recognition of her efforts to help maintain peace in the region.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi also hailed on the "bravery and vision" of Sadat in creating peace in the region.

In 1978, Egypt and Israel signed at the White House the Camp David peace accords that ended a prolonged hostility between the two countries.

The war eventually led to Israeli forces withdrawing from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 after 15 years of occupation.

"Sadat's message was clear that Egypt does not accept injustice or humiliation," Sisi reiterated, adding that Egypt seeks a just peace, development and prosperity for its people, its region and the world.

Sadat was the third president of Egypt, serving since Oct. 15, 1970 until his assassination by Islamist fundamentalists on Oct. 6, 1981.

In 1918, Sadat was born in an poor upper Egypt-origin family which would not know their name will be carved in Egypt's recent history by the hands of their son, Anwar, who became the first Egyptian ever to be awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sadat later joined the Royal Military Academy in Cairo and graduated to become a second lieutenant in the army.

After President Gamal Abdel Nasser died from a heart attack, Sadat became president in 1970.