Mai Magdy and Esben Justesen worked on this paper on the controversial Islamist Zaghloul al-Najjār. 

Al-Najjār has his followers, people who adore his thoughts and people who strongly oppose him. The comments to al-Najjār show the strongly polarized climate we are witnessing in Egypt. Al-Najjār’s own statements have contributed to these polemics.

AWR engaged in 2003 in a dialogue with him. This experience shows polemics are not unavoidable and disagreements can be formulated in much less harsh language as we see today.

Two major issues, however, have contributed to an increased polarization:

• Strong indications of pressure of Pope Shenouda on Wafaa Costantin not completing her conversion procedure to Islam in 2004 followed by Wafaa Costantin disappearing from the media making it thus impossible to hear her own voice in this controversy.
• Pope Benedict XVI’s lecture in Germany in 2006. 

Both incidents were seen as caused by major Christian leaders which has sadly triggered distrust of Islamists in Christian positions. The language al-Najjār  used is often undiplomatic and harsh. We do not need to agree with him but despite all differences need to remain in dialogue, only to avoid even further unnecessary polemics.