Cairo, Egypt, October 16, 1945. Sixteeen Arab men gathered at the Jami'ah Sjubban building. They were a former defense minister, a dean at a university, a number of ulemas and a few politicians. Donning dark-colored suits, they put on long, flowing robes and headgear.

That day marked an important phase in the history of Egyptian-Indonesian relations as these gentlemen, who represented Egyptian social and political organizations, set up the