The Art of Sectarianism During the past student elections, most student electoral platforms dwelt on and/or denounced the issue of sectarianism. Even though some of these groups forgot about the issue right after the elections, sectarianism re-emerged recently not through platforms but through different student activities. To some students sectarianism means sectarian strife. Its remedy is the peaceful co-living among sects. To other students, co-living is another form of sectarianism. The latter faction believes that the only solution for sectarianism is secularism, that is the separation of the state from the different religious institutions. Over the past month (which under our present co-living system would vary: December for Christians, Ramadan for Muslims, and Kislev for Jews), various student activities attested to the prevailing and dominating sectarianism. One can identify at least two of these activities: the public display of religious emblems, and the Bala Taifiyyeh exhibition. The controversy of the public display of religious emblems was pushed to the forefront this academic year. As the Makassed Alumni Club sponsored an iftar for some orphans (the orphans were from Dar al-Aytam al-Islamiyya, a celebrated Sunni charitable institution), it trimmed West Hall with decoration that had Islamic slogans on it. After the event, leftist students took off the said decoration only to enrage the Makassed Club which, in turn, issued a statement blaming the "immature" students and redecorated West Hall. Meanwhile, one student who felt that West Hall is for everyone, stepped into the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs and objected. In the absence of any rule which specifies issues pertaining to decorations on campus, the Dean was compelled to summon the Makassed officers to his office and to inform them of the students objection. Luckily, the Makassed Club was prepared for such student dissatisfaction as it counter-objected against the several decorated Christmas trees that were erected on campus. The issue was forwarded to higher authorities, the Board of Deans, which had a Lebanese-like decision to the effect that both no one and everyone can decorate whatever, and whenever, as long as the issue will be closed. Under the terms of the newly given freedom, a precedent was established. The new oral law ensures that every sect will have the liberty to adorn the University campus, with any kind of decoration, and during anytime of the year (dates were not specified for sects would know better about the dates of their feasts and celebrations). A problem arises at this point, however. Sunni and Shiites are two different Muslim sects. Even though they adopt a similar lunar calendar, they differ in their celebration. While the Sunnis celebrate the beginning of every lunar year, the Shiites morn for the first ten days (known as Ashoura) in memory of the killing of their third Imam al-Husayn. What will we expect during this coming Ashoura? Will it be a decoration of joy or a mourning black design? Who will have the right to decorate West Hall during the first ten days of Muharram and in what context? In our opinion, the shortsighted BODs decision did not solve any decoration problem but rather paved the way for a new problem to occur soon. The administration has apparently adopted the concept of co-living (Arabic Ta aiosh), which suggests a certain formula of integrating the sects into a mosaic-like society. The administrations decision about Ramadan and Christmas decoration did not apparently provoke any of the non-sectarian groups expect for the No Frontiers group which allegedly tore down that decoration. Another activity which initiated a sectarian-secular heated debate was the issue of the Human Rights and Peace Club s exhibition. The Human Rights and Peace Club, a No Frontiers controlled student club, organized an exhibition which carried a theme of Bila Taifiyyeh (No Sectarianism). To exhibit, according to Merriam-Webster s Collegiate Dictionary, is to show publicly, especially for purposes of demonstration. The HRPC club was exhibiting its opinion on Lebanese sectarianism. A press clipping, which was extracted from the Assafir newspaper and showed four religious figures meeting during the course of the Lebanese civil war, was displayed in the said exhibition. At least one religious student group objected to the displayed material and forced the administration to reconsider its prior approval on the holding of the exhibition. A debate over the closure of the fair was then initiated between students and the administration. Students openly challenged the orders of the Office of Student Affairs and the Protection Office was not capable of executing any administration orders. In the evening of that day, non-sectarian student political groups held a meeting in order to concert their action against the prevailing student sectarianism and the intolerance of students towards each others opinions. To the surprise of many, one group that holds anti-sectarianism (the battle is segmentation) as its main banner, reconsidered its position on this issue. The mentioned group wanted to make sure that No Frontiers would not gain credit by leading an anti-sectarian activity. The group therefore shifted its "battle," trying to attack the administration, thus ignoring the issue of sectarianism itself. Consequently, no action was taken whatsoever. The past month has attested to the manifestation of acute tribal and sectarian strife and sharp divisions. This prevailing disaster was coupled with two other disasters: the incompetence of the administration to deal with the mosaic-like student community, and the transcendence of some groups interest and their political considerations over the precedence of solving the deeply rooted sectarianism.