Confused!

Submitted by Louise (European Union), Sep 30, 2006 at 11:07

Hello

I need some advice!!! I have been to egypt many times and am hoping to move over there at the end of the year. I met an egyptian guy over there about 2 years ago and in the past two years we have grown to love each other and are hoping to get married (although i am not just moving to egypt to be with him, i would move there if it wasn't for him and i will not live with when i move over there until we are married, no date has been set for this). The thing is, i have been on many websites about western women marrying muslim men and they all advise against it.

I know this guy isn't marrying me for my money (he knows i don't have much!!) and i know he isn't marrying me for a visa as he has said that he wouldn't want to live in the UK. When i am in egypt he never asks me for money, in fact he has never asked me for anything, he always pays for the both for us and i have to kick up a fuss and demand to pay the bill sometimes!! By egyptian standards his family appear to be quite 'well off'. We are also both in our 20's so there isn't a big age gap

I am just worried that if i did marry him then things would change. I know that women are seen as second class citizens in egypt, although he treats me with the utmost respect now does that change when you marry a muslim guy? I have already explained to him that if we do marry he has to remember that i am an English woman, i will not convert to muslim, i will not wear muslim clothes and i still want my independence and that i would not stay in the house cooking and cleaning all day, i would be out at work, he has agreed to all of this and has said that he wouldn't want me to be like a muslim wife, would his opinions change if i did marry him? Also he has said that he wants a proper marriage, which we would have to go to Cairo for, not just one of the contracts to have sex!!

His family are all exceptionally nice to me, i have told them i would not convert to muslim etc and they seem fine with it, his Dad is even helping me find work for when i move over there. I have read a lot about the Islamic religion so i can know a bit more about muslim life.

Surely its not all doom and gloom and some muslim guys actually want to marry a western woman for love??!!

Can anyone give me their opinion on this?

Thanks!

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