Pack of Cards By Madame Sosostris

I hope all of you are having a wonderful Eid feast, my dears, and that you are taking advantage of the holiday season to spend some much needed quality time with your closest friends and relatives. Ramadan was such a beautiful month, that I have decided to end it by providing you with a striking photo of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

The first item in my pack this week begins right after the break -- it's the 12th Arabic Music Festival and Conference, taking place from 1-10 December at the Opera House. Culture Minister Farouk Hosni and Opera House Director Samir Farag will inaugurate the festivities at the Main Hall, with an opening ceremony featuring honourary certificates and shields of recognition being awarded in memory of late composers Baligh Hamdi and Sayed Mekkawi, poet Salah Jahin, singer Nagat El- Saghira, pianist Omar Khayrat, maestro Reda Ragab, music professor Nadia Abdel- Aziz, Kuwaiti musician Ahmed Baqer as well as Arabic calligraphers Faris Halim from Lebanon and Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel-'Al from Egypt. This will be followed by an operetta depicting the life of Mekkawi and Jahin featuring vocalist Ali El-Haggar in the role of Mekkawi. Bahaa Salah Jahin, who will also perform the role of his father, wrote the operetta. Ratiba El-Hefni, the festival's secretary-general, is supervising the operetta, which is being directed by Gihan Mursi. This year's round includes 27 concerts taking place at several opera venues: the Main Hall; Small Hall; Al- Gumhouriya Theatre; the Arabic Music Institute; and Alexandria's Conference Centre. Nineteen singers from nine Arab countries are also participating, including Mohamed El-Helw, Medhat Saleh, Anoushka, Ghada Ragab, Ahmed Ibrahim, Wael Sami, May Farouk, Riham Abdel- Hakim, Fouad Zabadi, Safwan Bahlawan and Shadi Gamil. This year 100 researchers, representing 22 Arab and foreign countries, will also be taking part in other conference activities, including seminars, lectures and workshops.

The Egyptian British Friendship Association is one of the most active friendship societies around, my sweets, with a large membership of both Egyptians and Britons. Its president is Abdel-Aziz Hegazi, Egypt's former prime minister. Last week, the association held a reception at the Gezira Sheraton, both to celebrate Ramadan and to receive the new British Ambassador to Egypt Derek Plumbly, and his wife. I was greatly impressed by the number of members who turned up, especially the number of Britons, since Egyptians normally dominate friendship societies here. At the party, Hegazi gave a welcome speech in which he explained the society's objectives and underlined the educational and business cooperation between the two countries, as well as the association's role in improving Egypt's image in Britain, and the British image in Egypt. Plumbly then spoke of the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries, and the prospects of further strengthening them. Our very own cultural editor Mursi Saad El-Din then explained the traditions and customs associated with Ramadan. He spoke about the importance of fasting as one of the five pillars of Islam, and that it is a month of devotion and good deeds. That social event was organised and supervised by Farid Mansour, the association's secretary.

At the Embassy of Egypt in Washington DC, the American University in Cairo presented its distinguished Alumni Award to Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmy, at the AUC Friends and Alumni Iftar reception. Trustees, senior administrators, alumni and friends of the AUC, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees Paul Hannon, member of the board of trustees Robert Kasten, and AUC President David Arnold, attended the ceremony. The award was given to Fahmy -- who graduated from AUC in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Mathematics, and a Master's degree in Management -- for his outstanding achievements in the diplomatic arena, and for his support of his alma mater. He has had a unique diplomatic career, having served as ambassador to Japan and political advisor to Egypt's minister of foreign affairs. Even before he was appointed ambassador to the US in 1999, Fahmy was internationally recognised for his expertise in the field of disarmament and international security, and has played an active role in the numerous efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

Renowned Saudi businessman Abdel-Hadi Taher recently donated $2 million to the AUC to endow the Abdallah Taher Professorship in Comparative Religion. A new field of study at AUC, comparative religion will increase students' knowledge of world religions and promote tolerance and understanding among adherents to different faiths. The first Abdel-Hadi H Taher professor of Comparative Religion at AUC is Bradley Clough, previously from Bard College in New York. Clough received his Bachelor's degree in Eastern Religious Studies from St. Lawrence University, and his Masters and PhD in Buddhist studies from Columbia University. At Oriental Hall on 1 December, Clough will deliver an inaugural lecture entitled "Studying Religion in a Plural World: The Enterprise of Comparative Religion". "I hope to offer courses about the interaction between religions. There is a need to better understand the "other", and studying the historical experiences and shared backgrounds of religions can promote mutual understanding and tolerance," says Clough. A long-time supporter of AUC, Dr Taher recently donated $100,000 to establish the Nashwa A H Taher Scholarship Fund in honour of his daughter. The gift will support the four- year education of five female undergraduate students from Palestine and other Arab countries outside of Egypt.

Congratulations are in order, my loves, to Amr Abdel-Latif Badreddin, who has been nominated by the Government of India to be the honorary Consul of India in Alexandria. Born and educated in Cairo, Badreddin is a prominent businessman based in Alexandria. He is a member of several professional bodies including the Alexandria Business association and the London Chamber of Commerce. He is also the general secretary of the Alexandria Development Centre, which advises the governor of Alexandria.

As a demonstration of the friendship and cultural ties that link Egypt and France, the Nile Hilton is hosting a French Festival from 30 November till 10 December. Among the events in store: a selection of the latest French movies, which will be screened every night at the Abu Ali Hall; and a gala dinner and a fashion show that will take place on 7 December at the Alf Leila Ballroom. The latest fashion creations from the houses of Rodier and Bella Donna will be shown, as well as jewelry from the famous house of Vartan.