“We are seeing the birth of a new Libya that is as beautiful as the waves of the sea.” — Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib is confident about the independent nature of Libya’s future. As he spends his final days in office, he is not deterred by a series of bombings that have recently struck Libya’s three largest cities. He feels they were largely a part of the frustration of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s loyal supporters, and furthermore does not believe that this minority is a large threat as he stated that they are “living in a state of denial.”

Instead of focusing on the outbursts of the minority of loyalists, Keib optimistically centers on the 90% who want to come together as a free and diverse culture and hopes the minority will soon join them in this pursuit. He told Time Magazine, “I am hoping that someday all of these groups will come out with their own folk dances, dancing in the streets…When I was growing up, we had Italians and Jews in my neighborhood. We had churches there, synagogues. It was part of our cultural heritage.”

The recent Libyan elections supported Keib’s suspicions as the secular coalition ousted many of the Islamic Parties.

Here’s to a hopeful future for Libya.

—Rachel

(Photo Credit: CNA)