BEIRUT: With suspenseful music playing in the background and excited tearful crowds cheering, the head of the Future Movement Saad Hariri entered the BIEL hall Saturday afternoon where thousands of attendees gathered to mark the 10th anniversary of the assassination of his father, late Premier Rafik Hariri.
Dressed in a black suit, smiling and waving, Hariri made his way through the crowds, surrounded by alert bodyguards.
It took the former prime minister, who made a surprise return to Beirut Friday midnight, a little bit more than 10 minutes to shake hands and sometimes hug and kiss a long line of Lebanese politicians, diplomats, religious figures, relatives and supporters.
Hardly believing that their leader is physically present with them to mark such an emotional event as the assassination of Rafik Hariri, unlike the previous three years where he was abroad, Future Movement supporters jostled to greet the young Hariri, with some bursting into tears.
“Abu Bahaa!,” chanted the crowds, in reference to the late premier, while others shouted: “We sacrifice our soul and blood for you Saad.”
The audience included some of Saad Hariri’s rivals, such as Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, MP Alain Aoun from Free Patriotic Movement Michel Aoun’s bloc and MP Abdel-Latif Zein who attended on behalf of Speaker Nabih Berri.
After the touching welcome, Hariri took a seat in the front line, with Prime Minister Tammam Salam to his right and former President Michel Sleiman to his left.
Taking part in the event were supporters of the Future Movement from various Lebanese regions.
Despite the rainy weather, Mohammad Hajj Hussein chose to travel from the Koura village of Diddeh to Beirut to take part in an event which meant a lot to him.
“I came today to mark the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri...this is an event which means to all the Lebanese,” Hajj Hussein told The Daily Star.
“We all know what the martyr did for Lebanon. He is a great martyr for this nation and we should continue to champion his cause until the Special Tribunal for Lebanon reveals the truth in his assassination and until we achieve all goals he had set.”
Hajj Hussein said he was very happy that Saad Hariri came to Lebanon to attend the ceremony, adding that the former prime minister would personally assess whether staying for a longer time in the country would pose threats to his personal security.
Hariri's last visit to Lebanon was in August following the deadly clashes in Arsal. He has been living in self-imposed exile between France and Saudi Arabia since January 2011 over security concerns.
Sabah Lahham Soubra, from Beirut, wants “to see those who had the courage to kill such a person brought to justice before I die.”
She urged the STL to hasten trials and reveal the full truth into the crime.
“It is dragging on. We are irritated. When Rafik Hariri was killed, I hit the streets for one month, demanding the establishment of the international tribunal,” Soubra said. “Had there been real justice, we wouldn’t have been waiting for ten years to know who killed him... all of Lebanon died with Saad Hariri, they killed Lebanon.”
Soubra said she had conflicting feelings after hearing about Hariri’s return.
“As much as I am relieved that the son of Rafik Hariri is here, as much as I am concerned over his security because we cannot endure further blows.”
Greeted by similar rounds of applause, Hariri walked to the stage to deliver his address.
Comfortable, joking with the audience, and often drinking from a bottle of water, Hariri delivered a 40-minute-speech.
“Honestly, nothing compares to being here with you. It’s great to be in Beirut, which Rafik Hariri loved so deeply,” the former premier said.
The speech, interrupted several times by jubilant partisans, ranged from the legacy of Rafik Hariri to hot political topics such as dialogue with Hezbollah, the presidential deadlock and the rising threat of terrorism.
Describing how much he missed his late father, Hariri could not hide his emotions at the end of the address.
“Not a minute, an hour, a day passes, without me remembering, missing, and asking: Where is he? Why? And what to do?” Hariri asked, struggling to fight tears.
The ceremony also featured several musical performances including one by Lebanese soprano Tania Kassis, who sang a rendition of the Lebanese national anthem.
Arab and international figures, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas paid tribute to Rafik Hariri’s achievements in recorded videos.
Three of the estimated 35,000 students who got scholarships from the Hariri Foundation also paid tribute to the assassinated prime minister in separate speeches.
