corker18 strewail's comments

Islam and the Non-Muslim Wife - Blog Entry

12 Jul 2008 01:40 PM

Dear lost girl,

I went to the middle east last year. I went there without knowing what to expect. I didn't know if I was going to be stared at or what? It turned out to be the best experience I've ever had. The culture is a lot different, of course. I can't speak for Saudi Arabia. If you decide to go to Saudi Arabia to be with ur bf, then you should discuss your religious preferances with him. My husband and I got married in front of a Sheikh. I did say things in Arabic. I did it for my husband and myself because I personally believe that marriage under the same God is possible in any religion. About the clothing, I wore western style clothing. I didn't wear a hijab or niqab. If I understand correctly, women must wear a niqab(face veil) in Saudi Arabia. I don't know if this will help your decision. It's just something to think about. Also, I don't personally know your bf, but there are chances that if you have children, they will be raised as Muslims. For my husband and me, we decided that we will let our kids choose when they are older. We just want God to be a part of their lives. I think if you appreciate the culture of Saudi Arabia, then you will not have too many problems there. Family values vary. Coming from my experience in a relaxed family home, I loved the culture and I wish I could be there instead of the USA. Talk to your bf about religion and if he expects you to convert or not. I suggest taking a trip there for a month or 2 to get a taste of what your life would be like there. Even if you don't speak Arabic, you should be able to feel the moods of his family. I think that life inside the home is much different than in the public of Saudi Arabia. Watch how his family reacts with one another. Arabic speakers tend to talk with their hands lol. I hope you know what I mean. Every word will get some kind of a gesture. Just listen to the tones of voices and if they laugh a lot and stuff like that. It's a big decision to make. I wish the best for you and your bf. Give it a chance there. It might not be as bad as you may have heard on other comments. As I said, I have never been to Saudi Arabia and I don't know your bf or his family. I'm just giving ideas and suggestions. I hope it helped.

Non-Muslim Woman: Should You Marry a Muslim Man? - Blog Entry

12 Jul 2008 12:57 PM

I'm married to a Muslim man. I've been married to him for 9 months and he has NEVER been verbally or physically abusive. When we were in his country, we got married in front of the sheikh TOGETHER. He knew I felt wierd about wearing a hijab. So, he made sure I didn't even have to wear one in front of the SHEIKH...of all people! He's not a very religious man. He doesn't pray or even fast during Ramadan. When his sisters and I went out for walks in the city, we couldn't leave the house without wearing make up and of course we were NOT going to wear hijab. That's taboo in his family. We wore short-sleeved shirts. I'm a little heavier, so my shirts weren't as tight as his sisters'. Of course, his parents are older and they pray, but his mom is also very fashion-concious when it comes to going out-even to the car! He does have his Muslim morals such as virginity until marriage, but that is something important to me, too. He does believe in God and the prophet Mohamed...but, he also smokes like there's no tomorrow and he used to be a heavy drinker. We are still happily together to this day. We want to wait to have kids. We say we should try for one in about three years. Who knows? I just want to make it clear that not all inter-religious marriages are nightmares. I couldn't have asked for a better man. He doesn't look down on me. He never acts superior. We exchange "I love you"s 50.000 times a day, it seems. We also imagine what it would be like to have kids, but we are in no hurry. We want time for ourselves and time to get a house and become successful. Not every man is the same. They are all as different as snowflakes. He even told me, a non-practicing Christian, that if I want to take them(our future kids) to church, I should. He grew up celebrating Christmas in his family. He even told me about pictures of him sitting on Santa's lap when he was a little boy. I know it's true because the last Christmas, his neice was at his house and she was very excited to get her presents from 'Santa'. In my marriage, it's not about what religion we practice. The topic is usually not even discussed. We have very strong morals and we want to please the SAME GOD. About which religion our children should practice, we will let them choose when they are older. We want to make sure they know God as their creator and try to please him. I have no doubts in my mind about my husband being a good man. He's very open minded and very considerate to everyone.