scientific innovation, and also the contradictions in natural phenomena.
Colonialism, capitalism, the different
systems of exploitation of man in our
society, have always been associated
with religious institutions. The colonial State transformed the faith of believers into a tool for neutralising the
people's legitimate rebellion.
It is the duty of the State to guarantee
freedom of conscience for its citizens
which implies especially the protection
of children against indoctrination within
State institutions, as happened in the
colonial schools which subjected children of differing religious origins to the
evangelising of the Catholic church.
In order to respect freedom of conscience, the State cannot be connected
with any religions or appear to have
links with any of them.
It is up to the State to ensure the
freely exercised right of every citizen
to believe or not believe. The mobilisation of the masses is a right and
a duty won solely by FRELIMO
through arduous struggle against colonialism and imperialism. The close
association of religious institutions with
the machinery of aggression and domination over our people certainly does
not give them any right today to demand something against which they
have always fought.
The Mozambican people did not struggle alone. Throughout the tough armed
fight for national liberation FRELIMO
established relations of friendship, solidarity and mutual help with peoples
and countries sharing the same aspirations of freedom, independence and
social progress.
This assertion does not stem only from
feelings of gratitude although, on this
day of happiness, we cannot fail to say
how much the Mozambican people
appreciate and esteem the fraternal and
disinterested help they received from
peoples, countries, organisations and
individuals who made their efforts and
sacrifices effective and victorious.
In the first lines of this combat front
we find the national liberation movements, fighters in the same fight and
the same trench , comrades in arms who
struggled alongside us and with whom
we have established fraternal and indestructible relations of solidarity. To
them we wish to affirm, above all, in
this  liberated   African  land,  that  the
People's Republic of Mozambique fully
assumes the internationalist dimension
of the fight for the liberation of Africa
and mankind and that our common
struggle continues.
Through our Comrade and friend President Mohamed Siad Barre, current
Chairman of the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU), we wish to hail
all of independent Africa, our great and
reliable rear base. Through his illustrious person as a revolutionary African
militant, we wish to hail the political,
moral, diplomatic, and material support
of African countries and their consistent solidarity with our struggle.
We wish, in particular, to hail our
brothers from Tanzania and Zambia
who, without any hesitation or calculation of any kind, accepted all the risks
involved in their position as our strategic rear, who suffered loss of life and
property because they did not compromise with colonialism and made
their contribution to Africa's liberation.
Because our struggle was, correctly, a
part of the common anti-imperialist
fight, the Mozambican people, under
the leadership of FRELIMO, took up
their posts in the great world front of
revolutionary forces. It is within this
context of political and ideological solidarity that we see our relations with
the socialist countries, a liberated area
of mankind where a new society is
being built free from the exploitation of
man by man.
The People's Republic of Mozambique
will develop and intensify its militant
relations with all socialist countries,
seeking to benefit from their experience,
in so far as it is the common patrimony
of mankind in the political, ideological,
organisational, economic, social and
cultural spheres.
In hailing the progressive forces we
cannot fail to salute the Portuguese
people, who were always our allies in
the fight against colonial-fascism and
with whom we have bonds of fraternal
solidarity forged through our mutual
help and reciprocal contribution in the
struggle for the liberation of our two
peoples.
Because our struggle never took on a
racial character and because our people
were always able to distinguish between
the colonial-fascist regime and the Portuguese people, today we can extend a
friendly hand to the Portuguese people,
without any complexes of amy kind, so
that we can build a future of friendship together, without hatred or feelings
of revenge, on the basis of mutual
respect and respect for the personality
of each people.
Within the context of its policy of
peace, friendship and solidarity with all
peoples, the People's Republic of Mozambique wishes to establish healthy
relations of international cooperation
with all States, irrespective of their
social regime, on thc basis of non-interference in internal affairs, absolute
equality and mutual benefit.
These principles, however, do not permit us to sacrifice the true interests of
the people to transitory historical circumstances. As has always been the
case in the past, we shall not coexist
with fascism and colonalism.
We attach great importance to developing our relations with the States of
Africa, Asia and Latin America,
which are also victims of imperialist
plunder and aggression.
We also consider it important to develop our relations with the Scandinavian
countries, Finland and Holland, which
were able to understand the justness of
the anticolonial cause.
We are prepared to assume our responsibilities within the African and
international community and, within
this context, we shall apply for membership of the Organisation of African
Unity and the United Nations Organisation, both international organisations
which have served the cause of national
liberation and peace.
Mozambican women, Mozambican
men.
We have won our independence by dint
of our struggle, our sacrifices and our
revolutionary consciousnes.
We marched, struggled and died to
defend the interests of the masses of
the working people.
In starting out on this new path, illuminated by the heroism of our martyrs
and guided by FRELIMO's political
line, we have one unshakable certainty:
WE SHALL MAKE REVOLUTION
TRIUMPH! LONG LIVE FRELIMO!
LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE! THE
STRUGGLE CONTINUES...
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