Nader Habib, samples Ramadan in Shubra, where the intimacy of Egypt's two major religious traditions is evident Shubra is unlike any other place in Cairo; the neighbourhood that prides itself in being the capital's most densely-populated area and which started out as a promenade for the rich and powerful. Mohamed Ali, the architect of modern Egypt, built a palace there to enjoy the greenery of the northern suburb and ended up spending more time there than in his quarters in the Citadel. The neighbourhood went through a real estate boom in the early 20th century, and many middle class families moved into its grid- pattern apartment buildings that stand to this day. The numerous churches still seen in Shubra's backstreets are testimony of its easygoing attitude to faith. Ramadan brings a sense of joy to the neighbourhood, says one of its lifetime residents. "Perhaps you can tell the rich from the poor from the way they shop in Ramadan, but you'll hardly distinguish Muslims from Christians," said Haj Fadel Rashwan. "Everyone here waits for Ramadan festivities. The Copts celebrate the month with the same zeal as the Muslims. They buy the same traditional sweets and stay up late enjoying the month's festive activities, just like the rest of us." Haj Rashwan added that the shopping spree of Ramadan was muted this year, as the month coincided with the start of the school year, and "the folks here didn't have enough money to shop both for schools and Ramadan." For his part, Haj Taha Mohamed Shaker, who owns a pastry shop, agrees that Muslims and Christians celebrate the holy month with the same enthusiasm. Shubra residents are a mixture of rich and poor, allowing for charity to boom during the month of fasting. "There are many charity banquets in the streets, where Muslims and Christians gather to have Iftar," explained Shaker, who used to make konafa, the traditional Ramadan dessert, manually, but now has switched to machines. "This improves the quality of the product and reduces the cost of labour," he added. Ramadan certainly means a lot to Soheir Fawzi and her Christian family. "Before Ramadan starts, my son Mark goes from house to house with his Muslim friends to collect money to decorate the street," Fawzi said. At night, the children play football in the street until it's time for Sohour. "My Muslim neighbours send me plates of Ramadan delicacies, and I reciprocate in the same manner during Christian festivities," she added. Samuel Fawzi, another Christian who grew up in the neighbourhood, says that his family always celebrated Ramadan. "My father used to buy me a Ramadan lantern every year, so I can play with the Muslim children after Iftar," remembered Fawzi. To this day, Fawzi spends his Ramadan nights at coffeehouses, playing backgammon with Muslim friends well into the night. "I am a Copt, but I tend to refrain from food until sundown, as my Muslim friends do, so we can have Iftar together," he stated. One of the things he likes most about Ramadan is the mesaharati -- the man who plays a drum in the streets to wake people up for Sohour. Hani Fouad says he enjoys Ramadan because he gets to see more of his Muslim and Christian friends after Iftar and go with them to Al-Hussein. "We spend most of the year at coffee houses in Shubra, and only in Ramadan do we get to venture out of the neighbourhood into the Fatimid part of town," explained Fouad. The only part he doesn't like about Ramadan is the heavy traffic just before Iftar, when everyone is rushing home to catch the sunset meal. For Fouad Shaker, Ramadan is no longer what it used to be. "In the past, everything was cheap and everyone could afford to buy what they needed. Now everything is expensive," complained Fouad, a Copt. "Even charity banquets are not as many as they used to be." He has taught his children to enjoy the month, for it is a time of love and piety. "Shubra is a religious neighbourhood. Everywhere you go, you hear prayers coming out of mosques and churches," asserted Fouad. "Early in the morning, you hear church bells mixed with the call to prayers from mosques." Khaled Selim, who runs a training office for drivers, is pleased with the neighbourhood's relaxed attitude towards religion. "Walk in the side streets and you'll notice that pictures of the Virgin Mary appear on the balconies, along with mosque posters and Ramadan lanterns," Selim imparted. "You cannot tell a Muslim from a Christian here." Bishara Mikhail, general director at the education ministry, says that inter-religious frictions are alien to Shubra. "We hear about frictions every now and then, but here frictions do not exist," Mikhail declared. "Muslims and Christians celebrate each other's religious festivities."
