Secularism’s time to shine

  During the rain and overcast last month, one would have been forgiven for thinking the masses of Lebanese reciting slogans skyward about independence, resistance, justice, arms, tribunals, truth and stability had been duped into believing that their approach to social and political discourse would make the sun come out and the sky turn blue. Instead, however, many Lebanese would do well to regard each day that passes as an opportunity lost to the dreary sectarian bickering of our politicians — the same ones we fought so ardently to elect. That we Lebanese have mixed up our priorities is nothing new but that does not make it any less relevant or painful to watch. Foreigners marvel at how we put up with governments and parties that have, literally, no stated socio-economic policies, but instead spout vague dogmatic principles that change with the tide. And yet still, we wait for the