Hamid Karzai, the current president of Afghanistan, accepted the 16th annual Philadelphia Liberty Medal on July 4 from the Philadelphia Foundation.
The ceremony was part of Philadelphia's weeklong celebration of "America's birthday in America's birthplace," which ran from June 27 to July 4.
The medal, which was accompanied by a $100,000 grant, was presented to Karzai by Mayor John F. Street in front of Independence Hall.
In 1995, Karzai split away from the Taliban government of Afghanistan. After leading an interim government beginning in December 2000, Karzai became the president of Afghanistan in June of 2002.
He was elected by a loya jirga, or grand council, of approximately 1,500 delegates.
During an emotional speech at the awards ceremony, Karzai thanked the U.S. for helping free Afghanistan from Taliban rule.
"The Afghanistan people have sacrificed terribly to obtain freedom. In the resistance against the Soviet occupation and the fight against terrorism and extremism, we lost nearly two million of our people," he said.
Street, who presented the award to Karzai, acknowledged the president's struggle for democracy.
"Your fight is our fight. Your people are our people. And your future is our future," he said to Karzai at the ceremony.
Street also commended the Philadelphia Foundation on its choice of this year's recipient.
"President Hamid Karzai has tremendous faith in his country and its people, and is a remarkable force in leading Afghanistan toward stability and democracy. I salute the Liberty Medal Commission on its selection for 2004 and, with all Philadelphians, look forward to welcoming President Karzai to our city on the Fourth of July," Street said, according to a Philadelphia Foundation release.
In support of one of his current goals to help the orphans and orphanages in Afghanistan, Karzai donated the grant he received to Afghan orphanages.
The ceremony, which Karai's family attended, also included a fly-over by planes from the Air Force and live entertainment featuring patriotic songs.
Karzai is the 16th recipient of the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, which has been presented every Fourth of July in Philadelphia since 1989. Other elite recipients include former President of the United States Jimmy Carter, the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, South African Presidents F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, and geneticists James Watson and Francis Crick.
Attendees praised Karzai for his graciousness, moving speech and his gratitude for receiving the award.
"He was absolutely awesome, his speech was incredible, he was unbelievably grateful," said Dava Guerin, a representative for Sunoco, one of the event's sponsors.
During a press conference after the ceremony, Karzai was also "very nice to reporters, you could see that he really felt the moment," Guerin added.
