Wasat Party leader Abū al-‘Ilā Mādī invited various activists and researchers of national issues to a “Civil State and National Unity” conference last Sunday. They discussed potential causes and remedies for the current sectarian crisis. Dr. Muhammad Salīm al-‘Awwā commented on the recent controversy with Bishop Bīshūy, stating that the Bishop's public doubts regarding the veracity of Qur'anic verses were unacceptable because they came from a religious figure.  Al-‘Awwā went on to say that the same comments would have been completely acceptable if they had come from a regular person.

Key Words: Abū al-‘Ilā Mādī – Dr. Muhammad Salīm al-‘Awwā – Bishop Bīshūy – Kamilia Shehata – Al-Jazeera – Tāriq al-Bishrī – Pope Shenouda III – George Ishāq – Nabīl Marqus – Samīr Marqus – Husayn ‘Abd al-Ghanī – Amīn Iskandar – Ahmad Bahā‘ al-Dīn Sha‘bān – Dr. Ibrāhīm al-Za‘farānī