Christ has Truly Risen, Lebanon is Truly Liberated

By: Elias Bejjani

May 1/2005

In austere living conditions, and a black wish, unto which succumbed the homeland of cedars and sainthood for 29 tough years, our faithful people has endured oppression and persecution, duress and impoverishment, immigration and exodus.

Our people have not lost hope for one moment, and never despaired of our nation’s resurrection from its tribulations, and the certainty of victory of their faith and their steady willpower over falsehood.

Through steadfastness they triumphed over the Pharisees and Trojans. And with the sword of righteousness they repelled the invaders back to their lands. And with earthly bound faith they lit the torch of righteousness and lifted it and triumphed for it.

Throughout the years of the catastrophe, they worshiped humbly to their heavenly father and implored, raising their prayers relentlessly, and through his holly will they accepted the trial and tribulations, and they succeeded and saved the homeland.

They bared the sufferings with firmness and pride. Persisting, and asking the Crucified to bring down the nation from the cross of suffering and occupation, and He liberated them from rulers who stampeded the sacred and reneged the honors. Rulers who sold the homeland and its human, divided his robe, hailed the foreigners, and submitted land, dignity, and honor.

Rejoice, for the heavens have responded to the yearnings and prayers, and the long night of suffering is eclipsing, and the sun of freedom is rising. For God was patient and not negligent, and in the end righteousness has triumphed.

In the memory of the heavenly father, the teacher’s crucifixion, we raise our prayers and chants for a resurrection from a vanquished death, and for an ascension and spiritual eternal emancipation given to the honorable freedom fighters.

We promise the Savior, as did our valiant forefathers, to safeguard the pride and dignity of the homeland of book and letter, where He made his first miracle the day He transformed water into wine in Qana’s wedding. The homeland where He cured our Canaanites daughter, and He blesses and sanctified its Earth along with Virgin Mary and the apostles. The homeland which has always been and remains the cradle of civilization and a giver of hope.

We send heartfelt congratulations to our people, preachers, leaders, thinkers, and resistance fighters, wherever they may be, and in any Diaspora, in this celebration of Christ resurrection and His triumph over death. We also congratulate all for the resurrection of free, sovereign, and independent Lebanon from the Syrian Baath tomb, and our shattering the chains of slavery with the hammers of Freedom and the hands of our young and their enlightened thoughts.

We salute our homeland brave young men and women who through their strong faith, and their persistent struggle have carried stubbornly and valiantly the torch of liberation and emancipation. And succeeded after a long struggle in rolling the tombstone where the occupier and its agents thought they had buried the homeland of creativity and its people.

We salute the heroes of the “Cedar Revolution”, and its honorable leaders in Lebanon and the Diaspora, and we humbly bow with gratitude to the memory of all our beloved martyrs who sacrificed themselves on Lebanon’s altar so that we can live heads high and preserve our identity and roots.

And with great pride, we proclaim to our living martyrs in the Syrian Baathists' jails, and to every forcefully exiled citizen, we proclaim with a thundering voice that Lebanon shall never forget you nor your sacrifices, and the cedar revolutionaries joy is incomplete until you return dignified and respected.

Christ has risen, truly risen; Lebanon has been liberated, truly liberated.

Elias Bejjani
*Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
*Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
*Media Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
E.Mail phoenicia@hotmail.com  LCCC Web Site http://www.10452lccc.com