President El-Sisi made his remarks at the 74th Police Day celebrations at the Police Academy Conference Center in New Cairo.
"Don't let anyone watching this picture differentiate between the sons and daughters of our nation," he said, commenting on a police parade displayed during the celebrations. "We haven't brought in people from outside Egypt; these are our children. They are neither militias nor outlaw groups."
The president stressed that the parade participants represent a legitimate state institution composed entirely of Egyptian citizens dedicated to protecting national security.
"Someone might try to misrepresent it," El-Sisi said, asserting that “We are doing this not to protect a regime; we are doing this to protect a nation and its people."
"This isn't to protect an individual; it's to protect a nation and a people from dangers and threats we've all witnessed over the past years, and which haven't ended yet," he went on saying.
"This scene is for our country, given the challenges we face everywhere. It's to protect the country, its people, and its resources, not to protect me, I swear to God."
President El-Sisi added that the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood was the party that “started its attacks against the Egyptian state and its institutions” following the June 2013 revolution.
“They were the ones who started—in Sinai, in Cairo, and across the republic. Who was it that opened fire and set things ablaze?”
He added that elections could have proceeded as planned at the time, saying: “An arrangement would have been made—God is my witness—if people had remained calm and said, ‘Hold elections as scheduled.’ We would have held elections, and the late President Morsi would have run in them.”
El-Sisi continued: “If the people wanted him again, then so be it. And if he failed to win, that would have been it—his standing would be gone, and so would the standing of those around him. But may God spare you the evil of blindness of insight.”
The President said that this year’s Police Day celebrations come at a time when “the world is rife with conflicts over land, resources, and influence,” and is facing “unprecedented challenges that shake the foundations of states and squander the resources of peoples.”
“In the face of all this, I reaffirm that the world has room for everyone, and that the divine religions and human values reject the brutal practices the world is witnessing today,” he said
He stressed, “Egypt, by the grace of God, through the efforts of its armed forces and civilian police, the work of all its institutions, and the deep awareness of its people, will remain a formidable stronghold against turmoil and an oasis of security and stability.”
El-Sisi added that “Egypt has become a haven for millions from other countries, and it will continue to serve as a solid barrier against waves of irregular migration, without turning the issue into a subject of bargaining at the expense of humanitarian considerations,” reaffirming that Egypt remains committed to “rejecting violence, preserving peace, and refusing the seizure of others’ resources.”
Institutional reforms take time
Reflecting on Egypt’s history, the president observed that the challenges faced between 2008 and 2010 served as a harbinger of the institutional decline that preceded the 2011 revolution.
He stressed that reviving the state requires a deliberate, strategic approach rather than reactive measures, noting that reforms take time.
"As officials, we must recognize that reforming the state and its institutions demands calm, reason, and a meticulous plan to allow them to rise from their slumber and progress," he explained.
President El-Sisi concluded by calling for a culture of transparency and unity within the government. He urged all state institutions to engage in honest self-criticism and emphasized that national success depends on a strong, cohesive bond between the state and the Egyptian people.
Egypt’s ethical foreign policy
El-Sisi affirmed that since 2014, Egypt has steadfastly avoided any involvement in regional conspiracies, sabotage, or acts of violence.
The president addressed potential critics of this ethical stance. "Some might argue that politics does not operate this way," he noted, adding, "but this is the path we believe in."
He emphasized a profound sense of moral accountability, stating that every leader will ultimately answer to God for any blood spilt, any acts of destruction, or any nation whose future was compromised under their watch.
Battle of Ismailia
The celebration honours the 25 January 1952 Battle of Ismailia, where 50 police officers died, and 80 were wounded resisting British forces—an event that helped spark Egypt's 1952 Revolution.
El-Sisi earlier arrived at the academy, where he was received by Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfik. Upon his arrival, a guard of honour was reviewed, and the national anthem was played.
President El-Sisi laid a wreath at the memorial of the police martyrs.
The president awarded the names of several police martyrs the Order of the Republic, in appreciation of their precious sacrifices for the homeland and in honour of their families.
The celebration was attended by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hisham Badawi, Speaker of the Senate Essam Farid, and Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul Gheit.
El-Sisi also awarded Medals of Excellence to several police officers in recognition of their distinguished service and dedication to duty.
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