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Dear all,

This blog has been upgraded and has moved to www.uprisingspirit.com,

Please check it out on the new domain.

Love

Free!

Lord I feel so free.
As free, as a man can be!


Whatever I say.
I try and I pray.
Nothing ever compares
To God's glorious way!


Seek and you shall find.
Knock and it shall open.
Ask and it is given.
Universe is simply Love!


Be who you want to be.
I promise you, you are free!
You don't need to see it to believe!
Believe it and you shall see!


Love you all!
:)

None but ourselves...

There is a HUGE lesson I learned lately.

OK it's not new, it's been years that am realising that offcourse our outer world is only a reflection of our inner world, that our thoughts, believes and emotions shape our reality even more than our actions, that to change our life, we have to change our inner world. OK, all of that is great. Think of what you want, believe you can, feel good, take action and your objects of desire will manifest. It is true.

But now I realise something really very powerful as well, which complements the truth above. That we are absolutely free to choose any thoughts or believe or feeling that we want! That our thoughts or feelings need not be induced by our current reality, but are directly emanating from our Source. This is really huge, this is pure Creation! Let me explain.

In our lives, we usually look outside of ourselves. We pick up ideas from the outside world, those ideas become ours. We are told stories, they become the stories that circulate in our minds. We see things, and we take them as “reality”. When we experience pleasant things, we feel good. When we experience unpleasant things, we feel bad! In conclusion, what we think or feel is always shaped by outside reality.

But the Truth is it should and need not be this way!!! Reality that we experience is the result of what we have thought, felt and done in the past. It’s like a printout of our past inner life. A mirror. We are in the habit of watching “reality” and then thinking/feeling/believing based on this "reality". So we are always caught by our past creation of reality. But there is NO link between “reality” and our “inner world”!! Our "inner world" emanates from the Source, our "reality" emanates from our "inner world". Reality does NOT have power on our inner world, unless we do give it this power. But why should we? Let's claim our creative power back, and free our minds!

So, to illustrate in simple formulas:

Our habitual old pattern of thinking:

[Reality] ----> [ our thoughts/feelings/believes/actions] -----> [Reality]

In this pattern, Reality induces our thoughts/feelings/actions, and then these thoughts/feelings/actions will shape back Reality accordingly. As you see, we have no power here, it is Reality (our creation!!!) that has power on us!

The truth is:

[Source] -----> [ our thoughts/feelings/believes/actions] -----> [Reality]

In this pattern, our inner world emanates from the Source within ourselves and not from Reality. At any moment, we can go within, and CHOOSE what to think and feel so that we shape our life accordingly. Reality is just the manifestation, but the creative power is within!

Bottom line, we are absolutely FREE!

We are only caught in our minds because we link our mind to “reality”.

But if we understand that we are absolutely free to navigate in our minds in whichever way we like, that inner world emanates directly from the Source within us on which reality has no influence, then we can experience whatever we desire and shape our lives in whichever way we like.

Off course, what we want is to expand Life in ourselves. To feel the dance of life, to feel the love, to feel the peace, to feel the thrill of being alive. This need for life expansion gives birth to heart-felt desires within us and to soul longings. All we need to "do" is to surrender to Life's calling within us, our Source, and to Life's desires and longings that are born within us. Just allow them to be, and let our thoughts/feelings/actions be aligned with our Source, and "reality" will transform accordingly!

It's beautiful. This is pure freedom bestowed on us by our Creator. This is ultimate hope for ourselves and our race. This is indeed emancipation, redemption and salvation.

God I love You! :)

Being the Change!

I finally get it.

In life, we don't get what we want, or what we work for, or what we simply intend, not even what we fight for! We get what WE ARE!

Before thinking, feeling and acting.. there is BEING!

A happy person for example will think, feel and act in a certain way, very different than an unhappy person. Correct? A secure person, a strong person, a trusting person, a wealthy person, will think act and feel very differently from an unsecure person, weak person, anxious person or poor person. Right?

Now please listen carefully: By BEING happy, we actually CREATE happiness. By BEING strong, we actually become strong. by BEING trusting, events of our lives will validate our trust, etc...

Please realise, if we want to get happy but we are regularly being grumpy, we will never succeed in creating happiness in our lives.
No matter how hard we try.
No matter how well intentioned we may be.
No matter how honest we are.

Whatever we want to be, we should STOP SEEKING it!

If we want to be strong, or happy, or wealthy, we SHOULD NOT seek strength, happiness, or wealth. Instead, we MUST BE strong, happy and wealthy.

We must BE in that state of being that we desire. Right NOW.

Being strong, happy or wealthy practically means thinking, feeling and acting strong, happy or wealthy.

How can we do that?
Hers is a clue. Ask yourself: If I was so happy now, how would I feel? What would I think about? How would I talk? How would I move? How would I respond to my day events?

Or ask: If I was completely trusting and sure that all my needs are being met, and all my dreams are coming true, how would my heart feel? How would my mood be? How would I talk? And sleep? And behave?

You'll get the answer. It's not a secret. We all know the answer very well. We all experienced happiness or trust at times, and we know how it feels like and how we behave when we feel it.

So now, observe yourself. Are you feeling that way? Are you behaving that way? If not, than please realise that you ARE NOT BEING the change you desire, and that simply you won't experience it, nor create it in your life. Even if you do your homework well, even if you finish all your job, even if you behave polite and you act responsible. You won't create what you desire unless you are who you desire!

DECLARE who you want to be, and forget about all circumstances of your life, and commit to being it!

Keep asking yourself, if I am who I truly want to be, how would I think, and feel and act? Can you see the difference between how you currently think feel and act, and how you would think feel and act if you were the person of your dreams?

Everytime you spot yourself for example thinking, feeling or acting weak, grumpy, or poor, STOP, remind yourself who you are, and start again, this time acting strong, happy and wealthy!

No it's not faking it! No it's not acting.
It's commitment to Be who WE WANT to Be!

It's understanding that Happiness, or Strength, or Wealth, or Love, or anything we might desire, come from WITHIN, and not from our outside CONDITIONS!

Choosing to be who we want to be is our ultimate FREEDOM! Freedom from the world conditions and events and from the past and from any circumstances!

Yes I know, many things will hold us back, old habits, blockages, memories, etc... but with consistent effort and intention, we can breaktrough them all.

Our work and focus and intentions must be to overcome the old habits and patterns in ourselves, rather than to fight the outside world! This is much more within our power anyway, and is infintely more rewarding as well. And believe it or not, change yourself, you change your world, and you change the whole world!

It is a facinating process. It might be challenging but it's possible. It can even be much easier than what we expect once we get momentum and understand the game. It can be fun as well.

So let's have fun. What are we waiting for? Let's just COMMIT, and

BE the CHANGE we WANT to SEE!

:)

Surrender

Now that we've been so far
Now that we are so near
What more do you need to know?
What else is still not clear?

Who is breathing our lungs?
From where comes our desire?
What is this Love that we feel?
Who is burning our fire?

We might not know all the story!
Yet it is sure that we are here!
Can't you feel it? We are alive!
We can see! We can hear!!

So what more do you need to know?
And what else is still not clear?
You know we are meant to be!
So shake away all that fear!

There is nothing to be scared from!
Let the Truth unfold in you!
There are no stars outhere to reach!
Not even dreams to pursue!

For you are the Dream!
And it's you the Star!
So just surrender
To who You are!

Love - remixed

What can I do?
I just feel it.
This thing called Love!

Shall I hide it?
Or maybe tone it down?
Shall I feel strange?
Or shall I deny?
Well even if I wanted to..
I can't!

...

What can I do?
It has taken me over.
This power of Love!

Shall I resist it?
Or try to understand?
Shall I explain?
Or maybe justify?
Well even if I wanted to..
I simply can't!

...

What can I do?
It's beating in my heart.
Its name is Love!

Shall I ask it to leave?
Or try to take it out?
Shall I get scared?
Or maybe freak out?
Well even if I wanted to..
I just can't!

...

Because it's LOVE my friends
And it's all there IS!
And how can I, a drop of water
Resist the Ocean of Love?!

What can I do?
I forgot my name!
It's ok, just call me Love!

:)

Rise Up

Rise oh Mighty People
The time has come
Rise Up!

Poor People, Hurting People, Miserable People, Lonely People
Am calling you
Rise Up!

Sick People, Weak People, Defeated People, Wounded People
Am screaming at your face
Rise Up!

Rise Up, Rise Up, Rise Up!

Bring your swords oh Mighty People
It's time for the final party
Carry your hammers oh Mighty People
Celebration will soon be starting!

Bring your pains oh Mighty People
And all your wounds and sad stories
Don't forget your humilations
And your losses and miserable memories
Bring your diseases oh Mighty People
And your fears and your worries
Don't forget your guilts behind
And your shames and your sorries

Bring it all Oh Mighty People
And let the great party begin
Play the music Oh Mighty People
Feel the freedom beats within
Take out your swords Oh Mighty People
Rip off everything with your hands
Cut it in pieces oh Mighty People
Slice it and slash it in strands
Take out your hammers oh Mighty People
And smash it all to the sound of music
Wipe it out oh Mighty People
Crush it, demolish it, and destroy it
Scream it out oh Mighty People
Don't leave nothing in your heart
Jump and dance oh Mighty People
Tonight the redemption starts
We've had enough oh Mighty People
Tonight we declare the end
It's up to us oh Mighty People
Salvation is in our hand!

And while we party, oh Mighty People
Let's never forget who we are
It's Love forever oh Mighty People
Forgiveness will heal every scar
Open your hearts oh Mighty People
The nightmare is forever gone
Praise the Lord oh Mighty people
Tonight a New World is born!

...

Oh what a Joy, Oh what a Peace
Did you see what we could do?
Oh am so happy, oh am so proud
Mighty People, I love you.

Imagine

Imagine you can write the story of your life the way you like.
Imagine there are no limitations. That you are free to choose to be anything you want. Anything you ever wish.
Imagine you can take a pen right now, and inscribe in your heart whichever life story you choose for yourself.
You just write. And so it will be.
Just imagine.

What story would you write?

Would you wander between rivers and mountains? Would you visit the cities and temples? Would you own palaces and jewelry? Would you have elephants dressed up with silk to carry you around? Would you fight if there were wars in your country?

Really, what life would you choose? Which story would you write?

As for me, I am holding my pen right now, and I start writing.
My heart is like a blank sheet of paper waiting for my beautiful story to be written.
I write with beautiful caligraphy.
The page is ornamented with beautiful motifs.
And as I write, the stories and the pictures and the images take life.
In vivid motions.
In full colors.

And I write.

I am on a magic carpet. It is sown with the threads of Faith, Love, Redemption, and Peace. It flies anywhere I wish. It doesn't even wait for my direction. It just listens to my heart. And it goes in whichever direction my heart goes.

I am dancing. I dance everywhere. I love dancing. Music accompanies my life. It is beating in my heart. It is playing everywhere I go. And it's beautiful. And I dance like a Bollywood star.

I am in Love. My most beautiful woman is with me. She is funny. She is loving. She is smart. She is caring. She is wise. She is in peace. She is just my most beautiful. And we dance together. And on the carpet, here we ride.

And we fly.
We meditate with the Buddhas.
We pray with our Prophets.
We whirl with the Derwishes.
We jump with the Shaolin Masters.
We flow with the Yogis.

And we love
We love the world. We love our families. We love our beloved.
We love the children. We love the old. We love God who created us.
We simply, love.

And we sing.
We sing the music that awakens the death.
We sing the music that heals the hearts.
We sing the music that redeems the soul.

For the happy children, we sing.
For the wounded men, we sing.
For the deperate and the poor, we sing.
For the loving and the caring, we sing.
For everyone, we sing.
We sing different melodies. Different tunes.
We sing in different languages. In different voices.
But our song is always One.

We fight.
We fight for the light.
We fight for the truth.
We fight for God who gave us the pen to write our own story.
We fight with our Love.
And our weapon is invincible.

And we win.
Peace and love pervades the world.
Songs of freedom are sang.
Redemption is earned.
Harmony reigns.
Hearts heal.
Tears of joy flow.
Man is reunited with God.
The world is resurrected in love.

And then we leave.
In love and gratitude, we leave.
We go back to where we came from.
We reunite with the Beloved.
And it's eternal Peace.

...

Beautiful story, isn't it?

But why not? Didn't I tell you to imagine we are given the pen, and the freedom to write any story we like without any limitation?

We must honor this marvelous gift.

And since we're writing anyway, then why not write the most beautiful story ever!

:)

Love

It's one word, and it's all there is
Love

Years of my life, now I know!
Love

Wounds of my heart, yes you can heal
Love

Tears of my past, it's time to dry
Love

Ignorance and fear, gone is your power
Love

Deceptions and hurts, your days are over
Love

Turmoil and struggle, I need you no longer
Love

And to whatever may come, I have only one answer
Love

And for you, my most beautiful, it's always and forever
Love

Politics in the New World

In year 2064, an election took place on Earth to elect the deputies of the United Earth Parliament. It is the beginning of a period in History the humans call the New World, which followed the period of the great Shift, or Resurrection.

The following text is taken from the political campaign of the New Earth Party, which ran and won in the election of year 2064.

“We in the New Earth Party observe a severe problem facing humanity right now. Though in the last years after the Shift, we have witnessed the peace and harmony spread among humans, and the borders of nations dissolve, we unfortunately cannot close our eyes anymore on the continuous problems of mistrust and violence that prevail between humans and some animal species.

This problem dates back to the dark ages of our consciousness, when we used to perceive some animals as a threat to us. In these times we did not realise that the danger was manifested from our own fear and from the projections of our fear. The result of our old consciousness has been endless wars between our specie, and several other animal species, especially snakes, wolves, tigers, and mosquitoes. These old conflicts between humans and these animal species have created an atmosphere of mistrust that perpetuates itself to our day. We can witness this in the continuous accidents that strike our villages and communities. Only last month, one child in the village of Zuku in Africa was attacked by a tiger. In Sumatera we all heard the devastating news of a man being bitten by a snake as he was harvesting the land. Our best men and women are still continuously bitten by mosquitoes even when they are peacefully lying down in the tropics. At the same time, relations between human and wolves have also deteriorated severely in the last years, with night accidents multiplying themselves in several areas of the world.

We in the New Earth Party believe that the time has come to put an end to this suffering. How many more mosquito itches should we suffer from? How many more times we will go to the jungles with fear in our hearts? How many more times we will see snakes with the eyes of panic and terror? It is time that we humans restore peace with the other animal species. We in the Earth Party believe that Peace cannot be conditional, or reserved to only human-human relations. Peace must be unconditional, and must be felt under all circumstances. We refuse that our children feel afraid from tigers or wolves or that snakes attack us in the fields and poison us.

People of the world, it is time we claim complete Peace into our lives and our world.

For this, we are happy to present ourselves to the upcoming election of the United Earth Parliament. With your support, we promise you to work relentlessly for our objectives. We promise to direct all our resources to solve this urgent issue, and to mobilise our highest spiritual capabilities. We will call upon the most enlightened among us to help us pave the way to negotiate with the animals using the Energy-Intention language. We believe that if enough of us direct our attention to this noble cause, we can open again the door of trust between us and the animal species. We will advocate for training thousands of enlightened ambassadors from the whole world to learn the Energy-Intention languages of the animals. We will send them to jungles and forests to spread the message of our intention for peace and harmony with the animals.

We know that the conservatives are still calling for the use of force against animals, still advocating the use of superior technology to deter them, and the use of chemicals to poison and neutralise the mosquitoes. But these methods will only increase the mistrust between humans and animals, and will never bring us lasting peace in the long run. We have to learn from our history. We cannot use old methodologies that are inherited from our old consciousness to deal with this challenge. It is time to put an end to these wars and to reach out to the animals.

Once trust is restored, snakes will understand that we wish them no harm, and that we will allow them to be, and they will not threaten us anymore. Tigers and wolves will also understand that we are not afraid from them, that we love them for what they are, and that at the same time we do not wish to be eaten by them. We will stop our war against mosquitoes and stop massacring them with our chemicals. This habit of killing them mercilessly is incompatible with our new consciousness. We are confident that as a result, mosquitoes and bugs will stop bothering us.

It is of paramount importance that we act towards these animals with sincere intentions and compassion. We need to purify our hearts from hatred towards them, and practice complete acceptance and forgiveness. We in New Earth Party fully believe that the animals will sense our honesty and love, and will cooperate to bring about a lasting era of peace.

Think about the new generation of humans who will grow free from fear, in total peace with all of the earth animal kingdom. Think about our children who will enoy their time in the tropics without suffering from mosquito itches. Think about the games we could play with the tigers in the jungles, and the fun we can have doing acrobatic movements with snakes. Isn’t this a dream worth fighting for?

We acknowledge that the road ahead might be challenging. We will have to face some inherited patterns of behaviour and believes, inherited mistrusts and fears. We might even incur some casualties; endure some more bites or some inevitable clashes. Yet we are confident that Peace will be achieved, and that if we start now, we will pave the way to the new generation of humans and animals to be born in a new world of complete peace and harmony.

People of the Earth, we ask for your vote in the upcoming election, so that we can carry forward our ambitious plan. Humans, animals, snakes, insects, we are all the creation and manifestation of the One God, and we are bound eternally to live together in One Love.

Vote for the New Earth Party!

Thank you everyone. God bless you all, and God bless Peace on Earth. "

This Is It

I love you?

It can't be true!

Cause who is me?

And who is you?

You love me?

I doubt it too!

Because then,

We will be two!

I am Love

And Love is you!

We are One,

Yes This Is True!

So let's just be

At last we're free!

And my love, you'll see

How much I love you!

One Love

This blog is first and foremost, a testimony of Love.

Love to this Life, and Love the to all the great men and women who strive to make it better.

Yes this blog burns with Love.

And it will one day burn this world.

Watch out!

If you wonder why so many Bob music and lyrics figure on this blog, you have to know this:

This blog beats with the rasta heart, and burns with the rasta fire.

Can you hear the root bass and the drumbeat playing in the background?

Can you see the captives breaking the chains and rising up from the bottomless pit?

Yes you need to know this.

Because this blog is nothing but a Song of Freedom.

This blog chants the glory of the One.

If you read carefully, you will see the One in every post, and every word, and every song and every picture.

And if you can't see it yet, then feel it.

Just feel it!

This blog loves to Chant Down Babylone and to announce the dawn of the New World.

Yes

Just like the cock enjoys crowing before the break of the dawn

This blog rejoices in chanting down Babylone

This blog will live on forever.

It is a timeless reflection of our time of transformation

Witnessed by a soul that lives it, and sees it, and hears it, and feels it, and is aware of it.

And what more do you want?


This blog is not about Uprising Spirit, nor does it tell the story of Uprising Spirit, nor does it describe Uprising Spirit.

This blog is Uprising Spirit.

Because while writing this blog, the spirit rises up, and while the spirit is rising up, it writes this blog.

Yes, Uprising Spirit and this blog are ONE.

And in truth, there is no Uprising Spirit, and there is no blog.

There is nothing but the ONE.

Movement of Jah People

The word "Exodus" is derived from greek, "exodos", meaning "departure".

To be on exodus is to leave a world in which you are familiar, and head toward the "new", the "unknown". It can be physical, geographical, mental, or spiritual.

Exodus is a difficult path. It is dangerous and scary, it often feels sad to leave, and many times bitter as well. But Exodus is also exciting, promising, liberating. This makes it an extremely alive and intense experience, encompassing extreme emotions, ranging from our highest hopes to our deepest fears.

But Exodus is also an essential process of life, by which we make our major leaps and breaktrhoughs.

For when you leave your old familiar world, and sail in the wild sea, in the unknown, you have no means to rely on any reflex or old pattern. And as you are continuously moving, you have no possibility to develop new systems, new habits. You have no option but to continuously create yourself, and the world around you.

"So we gonna walk, all right
through the road of creation
we the generation
trod through great tribulation"

Yes, Exodus is the Road of Creation.

...

In my own life, I started to understand what Exodus means when I left my own country and went to France to study. I was suddenly in a place where I was a stranger, where I knew very few people, and have no history. I needed legal stamped papers to be allowed to stay, papers that I would need to conitnuously renew with supporting justifications. I felt cold. I was lonely. It was expensive for me. Everything I took for granted in my life was suddenly missing. My mediterranean sun, my sea, my lovely friends and family. I was in a new world. With an uncertain unknown future, big dreams and few means. The land below me unstable. The way back was closed. The way forward was blur. Without realising it, I was too on my Exodus.

In these early days I would stay in my little student room in Cergy where my french university was located. Unable to focus on any of my studies, joints will be rolling in my lonely nights. From my first-floor window I could only see an un-inspring parking, between two lost buildings in a quiet french suburb where I had absolutely no connection. On my desk would be piled stacks of undone homeworks that were the last preocupation of my mind. And in my heart were sunny lovingful memories that were geting more and more far every day, seeming to fade away. In these lonely days, Bob would would be singing in my room, and for the first times his voice would strike deep into my heart.

"Open your eyes
And look within
Are you satisfied
With the life you're livin?

We know where we're going
We know where we're from
We're leaving Babylone
We're going to our Father land"

And I would dance. I would cry. I would jump. I would hope. I would want to believe. Until I get tired, I vanish on my lonely bed, to wake up and face another cold day.

...

In the years to come, I would try to understand. I would open my eyes, I would read, I would look around, I would look within.

And i would see the same old Exodus story repeating itself, each time in a different place, each time in a new way, and yet always the same. The story of people who were forced, or chose, to leave a familiar world, and to venture in the unknown, in search of a better future.

You find it in the Bible. The story of the captive jewish people, who escaped from slavery and ran away from Egypt, wandering 40 years in the desert, before reaching the promissed land. This story is still celebrated today in yearly passover ceremonies, where people still recall the bitter taste of slavery, and the sweetness of liberation.

And didn't Sidarta Gautama disguise himself and escape from his palace? He left his comfort and wealth, family and inheritance, to wander with asetics and homeless, searching for the Truth. One day under a tree, he awakened, and he became the Boudha, the enlightened one. Statues and temples still celebrate him until today. And people from east and west try to follow his steps towards higher consiousness.

And didn't our Prophet Mohammad leave Mekka? Persecuted and harassed with his early community, he not only left his home town, but left the whole tribal system of Arabia, and all the beliefs of his day. He had to escape, make his way in the night, with one companion, two camels, and a faithful heart. In the years to come, he will return to Mekka, this time in the middle of the day, with thousands of believers, and he will break forever the foundations of the old world. The day of Our Prophet departure from Mekka, the Higra, has been chosen to mark the beginning of the muslim era, and the first day of its calendar.

And what about the thousands of anonymous emigrants who leave their home countries each year, in search of a better future for their families? And the students who leave families and friends, seeking a better education in faraway and lonely lands? And the millions of refugees who flee wars and conflicts, famine and natural disasters?

In truth, the whole world today is moving. The old foundations have already broken, and are in the process of collapsing. The new foundations are being laid, but are still incomplete and fragile. We are caught in the middle of two worlds. Can you feel the shaking of the earth? Can you feel the change? the hopes? and the tribulations?

Yes we are now living in Exodus time.

...

Bob too had to run away from Jamaica.

While he was rehearsing peacefully in his new studio in Kingston in year 1976, he was attacked by gunmen who shot several bullets on him. His left hand was touched by a bullet, but he miraculously escaped the shooting. The assasination attempt on his life was politically motivated, and changed Bob life for ever. Bob too was about to be killed in his own country, by his own people. His life was no more safe, and he had to quickly pack his community, his instruments, his belongings and escape to London. Gone were the days where he could record in this own hometown and play football with his guetto friends. Gone were the days where he could visit his old rasta friends at the remote jamaican beaches, swim and eat fresh fish and energise himself. Gone were the days were he could pick a mango fruit from the tree of his own garden, in between happy worry-free rehearsal sessions.

Now he was a fugitive, with a whole community running away with him, and living under his responsibility in exile. His Exodus would give birth to some of the most intense music ever made, and his Exodus album made during these times would immortalise forever the fears, the hopes, the turmoils, the fighting spirit and the love of this man on his way to "his Father land"

Watch carefully and listen, this is the sound of Exodus, its Bob singing live in Germany in his Uprising tour, few months before he collapsed from exhaustion in Central Park in New York.

"Jah come to break downpression
Rule equality yeah
Wipe away transgression
Set the captives free"

Love Day

One of the blessings of my life is to have been in Beirut on that unforgettable day, 14 February 2005. This Love Day that opened my heart, and made me realise the true meaning of love, the meaning of sacrifice, and regain faith in myself and in my country.

I had just finished my first humanitarian mission in Iraq with my French NGO. After 6 months of hard work living between Baghdad in Iraq and Amman in Jordan, I decided to take a break and go to my home city for some rest and good time. On 15 January 2005, I took a car from Amman to Beirut, crossed Syria, crossed the mountains of Lebanon, and arrived to my city, at our home where my mother lives. My plan was to spend the winter quietly before leaving to another mission. Little did I know that my winter would be the most intense and agitated of my whole life.

I still remember that Monday 14 February 2005, and how can I ever forget. I was alone in my home in Beirut in Verdun area, my mother was teaching in school. It was a bright winter day, with a beautiful blue sky. At nearly lunch time, I was sitting quietly in our living room, when I heard and felt a huge explosion. A huge explosion that shaked the whole house, and left me astonished and shocked, not understanding what had happened.

Not that I never heard explosions before. I am a war child, and I experienced the civil war of my country Lebanon. The sound of bombs and explosions is a familiar noise to my ears, and has always been a normal part of our lives in Lebanon. I have had to witness street-to-street fights with kalashnikov bullets and RPG rockets, area-to-area bombings with the 240 rockets launched by far away heavy artillery, car bombs from detonatated explosive TNT material, and aerial bombing from airplanes during Israel wars... and i was just coming from Baghdad anyway where I had some nice reminder of how wars sound and feel.

But this 14 February explosion was different. It was huge, like nothing I heard before, but also it came on a normal day, where there is no war, and no military conflict.

What the hell is going on?

I opened the TV, and I saw a scene of huge destruction on the St-Georges area of Beirut, just next to the sea, few kilometers from our house. An area too familiar to me as I spend most of my time at the Kornishe, the sea side of our city Beirut.

Cars burning, people burning, a huge whole in the ground, whole buildings destroyed, desperate screams, total horror.

And I was looking at the scene with shocked opened eyes, amazed, incredilous, unbelieving: is this happening in my city? now? why? what's wrong?

At that moment my mother entered the house. When she saw me she was so relieved, as she was scared that I would be on the sea shore, close to the explosion. One of the tyranny of wars is that even if you survive yourself, you still worry for those whom you love.

She entered, and I asked her about what is happening. She did not know, and she was shocked too.

So we went together to the TV, and suddenly a Breaking News head line aapreared on the screen:

"The American University Hospital of Beirut announces the death of former Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri"

My mother had a not-want-to-believe exclamation, and looked suddenly pale and grave, but could'nt say anything. My heart sank, I couldn't speek too. I did not know what to make of this event, or how to explain this news, as I was not following any politics at that time. But still I could feel that something extremely bad had just happened, from a pure human perspective.

Yes it was in one blink, one glimpse, and without understanding much what is happening, I could feel very clearly that something huge had taken place, and that my life and my country would never be the same again.

...

This afternoon, I could not stay at home, I had to walk in my city, see what is happening.

And so I went out, and I saw my city Beirut for the first time of my life so sad, so solemnly sad, in such a grave mood, in total grief.

Evrything was closed. People were torn between extreme sadness, unbelief, and anger.

Some were crying silently, in their corners.

Some were just walking aimlessly in the streets, as if they were drunk, with eyes wide open, unable to speek or to say anything, still refusing to believe the news.

Some were spontaneouly exploding with emotions, and screaming out loud: "La Ilaha Illa Allah, el Shahid Habib Allah" which translates "There is no god but God, the Martyr is the beloved of God"

My city was humiliated, burned, stabbed from the back.

Its beloved leader was assassinated.

Beirut heart was broken.

...

But something very powerful was happening at the same time. A magic uplifting feeling was floating in the air.

I felt for the first time of my life that this time, this assasination had crossed the line.

That even though we might have suffered tens of years of wars, and thousands of deaths and wounded, there was something about this killing that was different, unjustifiable.

That throughout our history we had to accept silently lots of losses, and grief, but this particular grief was not acceptable, not possible to swallow, and to live with.

I felt as if the deads and the spirit are awakening. A sleeping power was rising. A wind of change blowing in the veins of everyone.

Khalas. I heard the soul of my city scream.

We will not accept to be killed anymore. I heard the heart of my city shout.

No we will not die. I felt the spirit of my city rise.

...

And so it was, the Cedar Revolution of Lebanon.

I am always grateful to life for having lived the spirit of this Revolution, for having felt these magical moments, for having witnessed that when men and women refuse injustice and humiliation and take a stand, nothing can ever stand on their way.

And today, 4 years after the assassination, few weeks before the start of the International Tribunal, few months before we win the elections, Lebanon gathers again, in the heart of Beirut, around Rafik grave, in the Martyr Square, to renew with one voice and one spirit, our commitment to Justice, to Independance, and to Freedom.

And from my far away island, me too I pray, and to Rafik I say, on this Love day:

"
Thank you Rafik
We Promise you that we will realise your dream
Your blood will not go in vain
Your death will always light our way
We Love you
May you rest in Peace
"