LIBYA: 'The fear wall broke'

Please forward into Burma

Born and raised in Libya, the man in his 40s says this is the first protest he's ever seen in his native land. With no freedom of speech, no one ever dared to utter an ill word about the government or its powerful leader, Moammar Gadhafi, lest they risk jail time, he said.

But with Friday's protests, violent clashes and dozens of deaths, something changed.

"We can speak now," he marveled from a noisy street near the protest's epicenter. "The fear wall broke. Even after the killing, nobody is getting scared. Their numbers are increasing."Freedom of speech, the right to own land, and a good education are among the things this man is fighting for.
He believes democracy is the solution. He dreams of his children getting a solid education and not having to live in a closed society as he did.
Internet access has been cut off in Libya, so word of mouth has been crucial in connecting the people, he said. Multiple friends had called to let him know about protests. "Libya is very strong socially. Most people know each other. I think they're united by the calls," he said.

His yearning for Libya is what brought him back to his home last year. He had been living in Canada for 15 years while he worked and earned a Ph.D.

He's proud to be there for the time of change. "We are fortunate to have this happening when we are here. Everyone in Libya and all the Libyans outside are dying to come here but they can't," he said.

He thanks other recent revolutions for the opportunity to see that change.
"I think the driving force is what happened in Tunisia and Egypt. Because of that fear, that wall, we felt that we couldn't do anything. After we saw Tunisia and Egypt, we thought that we can do it too. Tunisia and Egypt give us hope."

From CNN