desperate for advice english women to marry egyptian muslim

Submitted by Debs (United Kingdom), Jan 19, 2009 at 18:58

God I have been reading so many blogs about marrying muslim men and now I am worried and confused!

I met a man last year in Egypt, when I met him I had a feeling that I must see him again even though I have always told myself never get with a man from another country. He did ask me to meet him again while I was there but I refused, we continued to stay in contact speaking on IM all the time. He has been so nice but also quite hard with his mind but we often laugh about our differences in culture and religion.

I took a big step and went back to visit him and took my son, and we had a fabulous time, I met all the family and they were all so kind with me and my son. His mother was like my 2nd mum and to think i read that sometimes the family are in on a scam I just can't accept that of her she was amazing.

We are both the same age and he is not married and is well educated. The thing is he told me he is in love with me and would like to marry me, I was taken back by this and lots questions have been going through my mind ever since, i would like to think that its not for a passport or money as he knows I am a single mother and I don't have any money to offer him and for egyptian standards his family are comfortable. The problem is he has already said he would want me to convert to islam to marry him as it is a big part of his life and wants me to help him apply it within a marriage to each other, i can see that they are a good Muslim family and are not too strict and totally understand that my son is christian and will always be.

I have been totally honest with him and told him that I would not convert just to marry him but because I want to and he said that he accepts this, i have also told him i would not accept him to have another wife and would want a legal document signed by him to say he won't and if he did i would have rights for divorce and he has agreed to this too. But this scares me as I don't like how some of them treat there women I am so strong minded and independant which he says he loves about me, he doesn't want me to be a wife that always agrees with what he says, but I can't get out of my head that if I marry him it would be totally different, and would end up tied to the kitchen sink, that is so not me I must work I love it as I work with children and want to teach those who need it and help poor kids.

I am so confused now as there are so many negative stories I am due to go back again to visit and he has applied for a visa to come and meet my family.

Can anyone with help with any experiences they may of had with egyptians.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".