Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Middle East and North Africa	Who are you??	I loved my job too. I miss working as a trauma nurse so much that I dream about working in the ER at least once a week. I even think in my dream, they owe me a check from the last time I dreamed I was working. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2008-12-29 12:38:00
Middle East and North Africa	Who are you??	Hi, I am Meriem. I am a Registered Nurse. (Use to be a trauma nurse and flight nurse with hospital's helicopter service) I am on disability due to a severe back injury. I fell through a wood porch at an exhibit at the city's museum. I have not worked as a nurse since 2001. After Hachemi came to the US, I received an injury settlement. My husband is a full time student. (with 4.0 gpa) studying computer networking. Meriem Edited by Meriem_setif, 29 December 2008 - 12:30 PM.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2008-12-29 12:28:00
Middle East and North Africa	Family is telling hubby to shave	The first time I came home from Algeria (without hijab), I was drilled by customs. They marked something on my card and I was directed to another area. They drilled me again, who,what, where, etc. Asked questions about how I met Hachemi. bla, bla. Then sent me over to another area. xrayed my bags and unpacked one of them. Hachemi had sent some kind of ice pop things to my son.(You had to freeze them before eating). There where about 8 of them in a package, and they were round plastic casing and about 10 inches long. I wondered why after xraying that bag, they got so excited and unpacked the bag. They found them, and looked at each other, and repacked my bag. It did not occur to me until I was going to my other flight, what those icepops probably looked like on the scanner. lol. The second time I went to Algeria, I wore hijab. On the way back I was expecting the same treatment. The guy stamped my passport and said welcome back, and that was that. I think that Reda's family fear for his safety while traveling. Hachemi does not wear a beard, but his Mom asked him to not wear his thobe in public once he got to the USA because she was afraid something would happen to hm. They get an impression from media and stories that people tell, that the US is not safe for Muslims. Sad, but true sometimes. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-01-20 13:12:00
Middle East and North Africa	WHAT 5 ADJECTIVES BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MENA MAN? (and yourself)	Affectionate, Sweet, Romantic, Hardworking, Intelligent	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-01-27 17:50:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday Dorothy !!	Happy belated Birthday, Dorothy!!! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-01-30 10:15:00
Middle East and North Africa	Former CIA station chief in Algeria, target of rape inquiry	Link to story WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former CIA station chief in Algeria is under investigation by the State and Justice departments after being accused of raping at least two women while he held the post, a source confirmed to CNN on Wednesday. Two Algerian women allege that the CIA's former Algeria station chief raped them at his home, a source says. The women told investigators that they think date-rape drugs were used in the assaults, which are said to have occurred at the officer's official residence, according to the source. The allegations were made in the fall, when the unidentified officer was still serving as station chief. In October, soon after the allegations were made, the man returned to the United States for a previously scheduled trip and was ordered not to return to his post, the source said. A senior U.S. official confirmed that the case is under investigation but refused to comment on the details. State Department spokesman Robert Wood issued a brief statement in response to a CNN inquiry, saying that "the individual in question has returned to Washington and the U.S. government is looking into the matter," and referring reporters to the Justice Department. The women, who are Algerian citizens, brought their allegations to a U.S. government official, and federal authorities then launched an investigation. A search of the station chief's residence in Algeria was approved by a U.S. District Court judge after a request from the Justice Department. The search found pills believed to be of a type commonly used in date rape, the source said. In that search, authorities also found about a dozen tapes that are thought to show the officer engaged in sexual acts, the source said, including some in which women are believed to be in a semiconscious state. CNN's source had not seen the tapes but had been briefed on their content. Some of the tapes include date stamps indicating that the recordings happened when he would have been serving in Cairo, Egypt, before his tenure in Algeria. The investigation includes his time in both posts as well as other locations where he traveled. The identity of the officer could not be learned, and CNN was unable to reach a representative of the officer. It is against the law to reveal identities of covert officers. When the allegations surfaced in the fall, they were viewed as "tremendously explosive, no doubt about that," the source said, especially because Algeria is a Muslim country. The Justice Department and the CIA would not comment on the allegations or any investigation. "I can assure you that the agency would take seriously and follow up any allegations of impropriety," CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said. The officer has not been charged, the source said. The source would not speak for attribution because the investigation is ongoing and the source was not authorized to speak publicly. One federal law enforcement source said that no developments or activities relating to the case are "imminent." A station chief heads the CIA's office in a foreign country, establishing a relationship with its host intelligence service and overseeing agency activities in the country	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-01-28 20:35:00
Middle East and North Africa	Tasha's Birthday!!	Happy Birthday!!! Enjoy your day! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-05 10:12:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday Ahmed	Happy Birthday Ahmed!! My wonderful husband's birthday was also today. He turned 35. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-08 23:03:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday Rajaa!	Happy birthday to youuuuuuuu!! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-05 10:09:00
Middle East and North Africa	Citizenship Interview	WhoooHoooo!!! No more USCIS! Congratulations Doreen and Abdou Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-04 11:11:00
Middle East and North Africa	Muslim in America: a 'voyage of discovery'	Link to story Muslim in America: a 'voyage of discovery' Scholar Akbar Ahmed and his young team explore Muslim identity in America ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Hailey Woldt put on the traditional black abaya, expecting the worst. The last time she'd worn the Muslim dress that, with a head scarf, covered everything but her face, hands and feet, she was in Miami International Airport, where the stares were many and the security check thorough. This time, she was in a small town called Arab. Arab, Alabama, no less. "I expected people to say, 'What is this terrorist doing here? We don't want your kind here,' " said Woldt, a 22-year-old blue-eyed Catholic, recalling her anticipation before stepping into a local barbecue joint. "I thought I wouldn't even be served." Instead, Woldt's experiment in social anthropology opened her own eyes. Apart from the initial glances reserved for any outsider who might venture through a small-town restaurant's doors, her experience was a pleasant one. On her way to the bathroom, Woldt said, "One woman's jaw dropped, but then she smiled at me. ... That little smile just makes you feel so much better." This unexpected experience has just been one of Woldt's takeaway moments on her current journey. She is one in a team of five mostly 20-something Americans, led by an esteemed Muslim scholar, who are crisscrossing the nation on an anthropological mission. Their purpose: to discuss American identity, Muslim identity, and find out how well this country upholds its ideals in a post-September 11 world. Meet the team members » Leading this six-month charge, which began in the fall, is Akbar Ahmed, the Islamic studies chairman at American University in Washington. His drive to do this was beyond academic. "As a social scientist ... as a Muslim, it was almost my moral duty ... to be involved in some way in the exercise of talking about, explaining, debating [and] discussing Islam," explained Ahmed, 65, who took a year's sabbatical to focus his energies. "After 9/11, Islam became the most talked-about, controversial, debated, hated and, really, mystified religion in America. I just couldn't sit it out." So Ahmed devised the project that's been dubbed Journey into America. This "voyage of discovery," as he called it, is an offshoot of a 2006 endeavor that took him, and a few of those traveling with him now (including Woldt), into the Muslim world abroad. That initial trip involving visits to mosques, madrassas (religious schools) and private homes from Syria to Indonesia became the basis of Ahmed's book, "Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization." He said during the recent Atlanta, Georgia, leg of the journey that although the trip abroad helped answer many questions about how Americans are viewed overseas, it failed to paint a complete picture. "These questions Americans were asking [about Muslims] could not be answered without Americans looking at themselves ... and looking at Muslims in the context of their own culture and society," the professor explained. The group needed "to talk to Muslims and examine what they knew about American culture, American society and how they actually adjusted or assimilated or integrated -- or not -- into larger American society." To that end, the team has hung out with a black Muslim rapper in Buffalo, New York; met with Latino Muslims in Miami, Florida; and swapped stories with refugees, dotting the country, from places as diverse as Bosnia, Afghanistan and Somalia. See photos from their journey » They've withstood the winds at Ellis Island in New York and on the shores of Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, walked the neon-splattered streets of Las Vegas, Nevada, and navigated the country roads of the South. Along the way, they've weighed in with academics, other religious leaders, law enforcement officials and activists. Many of the group's meetings and visits are chronicled in their blog. The importance of this work became apparent to Frankie Martin years ago. The 25-year-old Episcopalian, whose father works for the government, was living in Kenya when U.S. embassies in East Africa were bombed in August 1998, killing hundreds and highlighting the threat of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. "I remember coming back to the U.S. and talking about these issues [relations between Islam and the West], and people were just blank," he said. Then, September 11 rocked the United States, and he entered college at American University "wanting to know why this is happening and what could be done about it.... I wanted to learn more about the Muslim world, understand the religion of Islam and improve relations." Part of the process involves pushing themselves to stand where they've never stood before. At October's Muslim Day parade in New York, Craig Considine, 23, threw himself into the middle of protesters to witness and film a volley of venomous words. Among them were insults against Prophet Mohammed, which prompted heated rhetoric from both sides, as people hurled taunts at each other. The young filmmaker said he didn't feel a thing until he walked away, turned his camera off and allowed himself to think. "Both sides, the protesters and the responders, were all Americans and completely failed to see eye-to-eye," he explained. "I was just very disappointed. ... I don't think I've ever seen hatred like that in my whole life." Jonathan Hayden, who's worked for Ahmed for nearly five years, pointed out that even the less heated moments can be enlightening. He told the story of answering a tear-filled question posed by a Midwestern woman who admitted that she'd never met a Muslim. " 'Do they love their children?' " Hayden, 30, remembered her asking. "We were able to tell her that, yes, they love their children. ... But the fact that she asked that question told us so much." The group's central goal is to highlight the need to understand Islam, something they hope to further accomplish through a book Ahmed will write and a documentary they hope to produce. "The Muslim world population is 1.4 billion people. By the middle of the century, one out of four people will be Muslim. ... [There are] 57 Muslim countries today. Think of the number," Ahmed said. "America -- as a superpower, as a world leader -- needs to be able to interact in a positive way with one-fourth of the world's population." He estimated that there are 7 million Muslims and counting in the United States today. And their dreams and hopes, Ahmed and the others are convinced, aren't any different from those of their neighbors. Sheikh Salahadin Wazir, who had dinner with the group and invited its members to his Atlanta-area mosque for Friday afternoon prayers, praised the project. "It's important to hear what Muslims are all about from a Muslim perspective. We are law-abiding citizens. We are professionals," said Wazir, as he stood outside Masjid Al-Momineen in Clarkston, Georgia. "A lot of our children are going to school, getting a higher education, and the future is bright." For Madeeha Hameed, 21, being part of this project has been especially personal. The senior at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, who took last semester off to travel as much as she could but has since gone back to school, moved to northern Virginia from Pakistan right before high school -- and right before the September 11 attacks. "It was very difficult for me. ... You know how high school is," she said. "I did not want to be known as a Muslim or a Pakistani, because I just wanted to fit in. I had a lot of anger toward my identity." Reading Ahmed's books, getting the opportunity to tag along on this current journey, "definitely helped me embrace my identity" and helped her to appreciate all that surrounds her, she said. "There are so many aspects of this country, and of Islam, that I wasn't aware of."	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-09 21:28:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday Jackie!!!	Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-05 15:40:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday Noura!!!	Happy Birthday, Noura!!!! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-15 11:14:00
Middle East and North Africa	Sharing some wedding pictures	Beautiful, Mashaallah. Thanks for sharing with us. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-16 19:23:00
Middle East and North Africa	A very blessed day!	Great news!!!! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-06 09:50:00
Middle East and North Africa	Ladies and Gentlemen	Congratulations!!!	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-02-22 11:35:00
Middle East and North Africa	Urgent: Act Now Against Anti-Palestinian Amendments in Senate	From ADC SUCCESS! Anti-Palestinian Amendments Fail Thanks to your quick responses this weekend we were able to flood the offices on Capitol Hill with opposition to the anti-Palestinian amendments to the Omnibus Appropriations Act. It was clear your voice made a difference. High ranking Senate leaders spoke out in opposition to Senator Kyl's Amendments including the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. John Kerry and the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Sen. Patrick Leahy. In a passionate speech on the floor of the Senate yesterday opposing S. AMNDT. 629, which would have prevented Palestinians from Gaza from seeking refuge in the United States, Senator Leahy said "I have to think back -- I read about my family 150 years or so [ago] when they came to Vermont, on my father's side, the Irish. I'm sure if we had a law like this in place; it is questionable whether they could have come in. The Irish were fighting to keep their land. If they were fighting to keep their rights, fighting for the ability to vote, and they live[d] in what is now the republic of Ireland, they were considered terrorists." S. AMNDT 629, the most egregious of Senator Kyl's amendment's, was withdrawn from consideration. Further, S. AMNDT 631 which would create further restrictions on the disbursement of reconstruction aid to Gaza failed by a vote of 39-56 with 4 not voting. This is another example of how your quick and dedicated response can create real change on the floor of Congress. Keep up the good work! Edited by Meriem_setif, 10 March 2009 - 12:07 PM.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-10 12:06:00
Middle East and North Africa	Time to consider purchasing another cookbook	It's really a nice cookbook. I use mine every week. It's worth the money. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-05 10:51:00
Middle East and North Africa	DINNER IN MENA LAND	QUOTE (Nawal @ Mar 11 2009, 01:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Astarte @ Mar 11 2009, 10:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey can someone share a recipe for this melwi stuff? It sounds really good. http://www.visajourn...p;#entry2057778 I have learned to make a lot of recipes from youtube. Algeria has a similar bread like Melwi, except it is called Mhajeb, and it is stuffed with cooked tomato, onion and pepper. I was real intimidated but after watching some recipe videos I tried it and they turned out great. I kneaded by hand though because I dont have a processor with dough hooks.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-11 13:46:00
Middle East and North Africa	Text message warning of shooting at Wal-Mart	Said on the news here it was an internet email hoax. I pray it is. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-19 18:02:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Anniversary - Jackie & Ibrahim!!!!	HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JACKIE AND IBRAHIM!!! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-19 10:20:00
Middle East and North Africa	My precious son	Salam sister Henia, You and your family are in my prayers! I hope your little fellow is feeling better soon. Take care, Meriem Edited by Meriem_setif, 17 December 2008 - 11:39 AM.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2008-12-17 11:39:00
Middle East and North Africa	Not sure if Attorney gave me good advice.	QUOTE (Sylvia_n_Joseph @ Mar 22 2009, 10:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The returned K1 can come back to bite you. According to the lawer I retained if you cancel it you are in effect agreeing with the findings of the interviewing officer. But they don't qualify for the K-1 anymore. They have a reason to cancel because they are now married. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-22 11:01:00
Middle East and North Africa	Americans jailed in Egypt (cnn.com video)	Here is the written article about it. It gives a little more information about what happened. The thing I found interesting was the part that said the women presented birth certificates that showed them as the birth moms and the US embassy became suspicious because they thought the women were to old to be mothers. I would hate to be in their shoes. I guess by bringing their plight to the international media will help them. But still they committed forgery. Meriem Link to story Egypt says adoptive moms were human smugglers By Tim Lister and Mary Rogers CNN CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- Suzanne Hagelof and Iris Botros dreamed of adopting babies. Separately, they visited orphanages in Egypt. Hagelof adopted a child, and Botros was in the process of adopting twins, when they ran foul of authorities. Now they are in jail, accused of being part of a conspiracy to traffic children. Last week, the two women were led into a Cairo courtroom in handcuffs, along with six other people. They stood in a big black cage in the courtroom, looking apprehensive amid the hubbub. To their defenders, all they were trying to do was provide orphans with a better chance in life. To the prosecution, they were involved in forging documents to try to adopt children illegally and smuggle them out of the country. The accused include two doctors, a nun who ran an orphanage, and two Americans. VideoWatch the women get bundled into court » A year ago, Hagelof, a U.S. citizen who lives in Egypt with her husband, adopted a child from an orphanage run by the Coptic Christian Church, a religious minority in Egypt. She says no money changed hands. Several months later, Luis Andros, a U.S. citizen who is originally from Greece, and his wife, Iris Botros, left their restaurant business in North Carolina for Egypt. Botros, who is originally from Egypt, visited another orphanage run by the church. She paid the orphanage about $4,600 for the twins -- partly for clothes and partly as a donation. Both women wanted to take the children to the United States -- in Hagelof's case for a visit, but in Botros' case to begin a new life in Wake Forest, North Carolina. And that's where the trouble began. To get a visa for the children, both women went to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. According to their attorneys, the documents they presented included birth certificates and certificates signed by doctors stating they were the natural mothers. According to defense attorneys, the two women knew they were using forged documents. Embassy officials became suspicious of the documents -- partly because the women seemed too old to be the mothers. Both Hagelof and Botros are in their mid- to late forties. The embassy contacted Egyptian authorities, and both couples were arrested soon afterward; so were two doctors who had written the birth certificates for the three children. Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the U.S. State Department will comment on the case, citing the ongoing trial. The three children are now at a private, nonreligious orphanage in Cairo. Botros' husband, Andros, blames the embassy for their plight. Asked through the bars of the courtroom cage what had happened, he replied, "Well, our American Embassy, instead of helping the people, they put them in jail." His wife interjected, insisting they would not get a fair trial. A few feet away, Suzanne Hagelof called out, "We want to tell our story," while her husband, Medhat, looked on, quiet and dejected. As reporters tried to talk to the defendants, a guard intervened, shouting "Sit down, sit down." Adoption has long been illegal under Egyptian law as well as being forbidden under sharia, Muslim religious law. Fostering is legal but uncommon. It has become a high-profile issue since Suzanne Mubarak, wife of the president, embarked on a campaign to stamp out human trafficking. She recently told CNN that human trafficking "exists in all societies." "I came to realize what an insidious crime this was and how it was just really built on profit. On not only low morals, on no morals at all," she said. And that's how the prosecution seems to be framing this case, using a law passed last year that provides for tough penalties for human trafficking. Khalil Adil El Hamani, the attorney representing Hagelof, says Egyptian authorities want to prove that all the defendants are from one gang and are trafficking children, so as to make the case seem to be a giant conspiracy. Both couples insist they had no idea what they were doing was illegal and have no link with human trafficking. The attorney representing Botros and her husband says their only crime was to dream of being parents. "They are now are in jail because of this dream," he told CNN after the first hearing in the case a week ago. "They never thought that they will be in jail. They thought that they are going to adopt only. They didn't think they are making something against the law in Egypt." All eight defendants remain in jail -- the men at the Tora prison in Cairo, well known for its overcrowding. The next stage of the trial takes place May 16, and proceedings could last six to eight months. If they are convicted, the accused could each face up to 10 years in prison.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-23 17:11:00
Middle East and North Africa	Americans jailed in Egypt (cnn.com video)	Americans jailed in Egypt. LINK TO VIDEO	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-23 11:35:00
Middle East and North Africa	A favor, from my MENA peeps?	Done! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-25 13:40:00
Middle East and North Africa	help please	QUOTE (CnT4ever @ Mar 21 2009, 09:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My understanding is that many people from Muslim/Mid East countries (and India) have arranged marriages. The fact that you are both Moroccan and have this culture in common will weigh more than if a non-ME American had this type of marriage to a Moroccan. Does that make sense? I think you will be fine. Whatever proof you have, present it. Also, I think it won't hurt to point out your good job and all things that will make the CO understand that you don't need to file a fake marriage for any special benefit. Good luck and let us know how it pans out. That is exactly what I was thinking with both being Moroccan with the same culture and religion. The US Embassy is well aware of the customs of the people of Morocco. I don't think you will have any problems. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-21 10:19:00
Middle East and North Africa	Faster spouse visa? Apply in Egypt after 6 months or apply from USA?	QUOTE (Nawal @ Mar 25 2009, 01:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Another hit and run....drives me nuts Seagull posting....fly in, sh!t and fly out!	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-25 13:36:00
Middle East and North Africa	American women's PR husband deported to Pakistan	QUOTE (mmok2k8 @ Mar 26 2009, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Meriem_setif @ Mar 25 2009, 10:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I found this blog yesterday. It is so sad that something like this could happen. Her husband of 7 years that had been in the US legally for twenty something years (has a GC) was arrested by ice, threatened, tortured, and deported. The woman's father had contacted immigration and told them that the husband had ties to terrorism. The father was angry because his daughter reverted to Islam. What is sad is they had 2 little children at the time. Meriem Link to Blog Dear Meriem, thank you for posting our blog on this site..we are the family ... Please do feel free to ask us anything about our situation. we have a number of vidoes now on Youtube under the same ID.. Yes, I was Arrested .. and tortured by ICE WITHOUT any reason and in the end I asked to be sent back to Pakistan where I had not been in over 25 years.. I do not know anyone here and for the past 3 years it has been close to hell! Someone here mentioned that Pakistan would be the same after that long.. unfortunately that is not the case. Since I have been here I have gone thru one MOCK EXECUTION and Rose has been threatened to be kidnapped by a Minister here. We had no options left other than to get Rose and the Kids here and somehow make it here. After Obama came to office we deicided to talk about our story initially on YouTube in case we can get the Medias attention but till now nothing has happened. Someone else has called it a "RANT" againt Bush.. yes! it can be considered a rant!! After days of Torture due to BUSH approved policies.. I do have every right to place the blame where it belongs. Please ask us any questions you might have.. and if you can help in anyway (best being getting the word out) please do. A lot of people we have met on line have checked our story out and have decided to support and help us in recent days. please contact us on the same ID on Yahoo we are here quite often to answer any questions. We can also cam / talk on skype. Regards and thank you Hasan (and Rose) Salam Hasan and Rose. You are very welcome, glad that I could help. I have not stopped thinking about your family since I read your blog and watched the videos. What is more terrifying is that it could very well happen to any of us that have a Muslim spouse. That is why I posted it here. I hope and pray that you find a resolution to your nightmare. Take care, Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2009-03-26 17:54:00
Middle East and North Africa	Spotlight on Egypt's marriage crisis	QUOTE But I think a lot of this, when it occurs and it's not a "gold digger" is just the girl's family (mainly her father or brothers) being concerned that her husband has the ability to care for her and provide her with the things that she needs. Oh, of course, and it's a valid concern. But just saying, in those cases, having an educated daughter or one who has learned a skill or trade could certainly help alleviate that stress on the man to be the sole provider, thus kind of freeing the both of them up to put more emphasis on love or compatibility, rather than laying all the burden on the man to completely support the woman - thereby creating a need to shop around for the wealthiest man for your daughter to marry.	SterlingGirl	Female	United Kingdom	2008-08-21 21:45:00
Middle East and North Africa	Spotlight on Egypt's marriage crisis	This may sound a little ethnocentric, but it seems a bit sad to me that love has to take a backseat to financial stability simply because of prevailing cultural norms. If women can 1) contribute to the household income and 2) hold off on having children (which are naught but pure expense for people who are trying to establish themselves), then there's not really much of a problem. I think the issue arises when people want to immediately begin having children when they marry, or have only one person making a living. Not saying that Westernized methods are "superior" or anything, but it seems to certainly make it easier for love to play the biggest factor in marriage. Sure, you've got your gold-diggers who marry only for money, and then wonder why they're unhappy years later. But I, personally, have never witnessed that kind of a setup - I've been middle class all my life. Succeed or fail, every relationship I've ever been privy to was forged out of love. I think it's tragic that any marriage should be done any differently. So it does sound like a bit of shifting of some cultural norms would be in order.	SterlingGirl	Female	United Kingdom	2008-08-21 21:24:00
Middle East and North Africa	How do you stay secure in a long distance relationship?	We simply look at each other as our greatest allies in this situation, rather than enemies. We both remember that this whole process is VERY new to both of us, and it goes a lot easier if we navigate hand-in-hand rather than back-to-back. It helps us, and me especially, to know that I am part of a bigger picture for my fiance. He is a writer, and I know that getting into the U.S. will be beneficial to him in his industry - his greatest reason for moving is me, of course, but the added boost of better proximity to important events in his field and an overall better lifestyle help add even more reinforcement. I know he probably COULD just give up at any moment, but I know he won't. I know in my marrow he won't. Besides, we don't dwell on it. Sure, we miss each other dreadfully and often convey that to one another, but we're also aware that we have lives - including the loose ends thereof to tie up - and that, as long as we're on schedule with sending in the needed papers and going through the necessary steps, we're going to be together. There's no "if" with us, only when. We've learned to take advantage of what time we have left with our present lives - his ability to see his best friend or grandparents when he wants to, certain food that isn't commonly available in the U.S., etc. And my having my home to just myself and my son, closet space I don't have to share, weekends that are spent completely with my child or my friends, and other things that will probably experience big adjustments once he's settled in. All things considered, it's been a breeze. Edited by SterlingGirl, 12 August 2008 - 11:10 AM.	SterlingGirl	Female	United Kingdom	2008-08-12 11:10:00
Middle East and North Africa	HURRAY!! ANGIE'S HUSBAND HAS ARRIVED IN AMERICA!	Yeaaa!!! Congratulations!!! Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-06-22 21:34:00
Middle East and North Africa	Im at DOS TOO	Congratulations!!!	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-13 15:39:00
Middle East and North Africa	we're at the DOS!!!!!	That's great news, Doodle!!! I am happy for you. Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-13 15:38:00
Middle East and North Africa	RaMaDaN ReCiPe	QUOTE (amira_ordonia @ Sep 13 2007, 03:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Meriem_setif @ Sep 13 2007, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ok Holly, I had chicken thawed, so I am making the Lemon saffron chicken. It is in the fridge marinating now. Thanks for posting. If you have a bread machine, this is a very good an easy recipe for french bread. Goes great with chorba. I hope you enjoy it. Meriem French Bread Yields: 1 loaf Ingredients: * 9 ½ ounces (1 cup 3 Tbsp.) water, 90-100 degrees F * 3-1/2 cups bread flour * 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar * 1-1/4 teaspoon salt * 1 tablespoon butter or margarine * 2 teaspoons active dry yeast or * 1 1/2 teaspoon bread machine or fast rise yeast * 1 egg white, slightly beaten * 1 teaspoon water Add lukewarm water to pan. Add bread flour, sugar and salt to pan. Tap pan to settle dry ingredients, then level ingredients, pushing some of the mixture into corners. Place butter into corners of pan. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add yeast. Lock pan into bread maker. Program for DOUGH. Program TIMER if being used. Start bread maker. When done, remove pan from bread maker. Place dough onto floured surface. Let rest 15 minutes. Roll dough into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Roll up tightly from long side, seal and taper ends. Place seam side down on greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 to 55 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. With sharp knife, make 3 or 4 ¼-inch deep diagonal cuts on top of loaf. Combine egg white with water and brush mixture on top of loaf. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. This sounds great Meriem. I also have a fast and easy recipe for french bread. Drive to Safeway, park the car. Walk to Bakery dept. Squish all the bread loaves until you find the one you like the best. Stand in line, pay. Drive home. Eat bread. HAHAHAHA!!! You are so funny!!! If only I had a safeway. Only thing we have is Walmart and their bread is terrible. Hachemi and I like the Pillsbury french bread in the can. I cook it almost everyday. But occasionally I like to make the home made one. Chorba is a soup, like the minestrone, but has lots of flavor. It is tomato based with chickpeas and spices. Some variations use vermicelli instead of chickpeas. My MIL made this everyday I was there during Ramadan. When I was cooking it today, the smell brought back so many memories of when I was in Algeria. INGREDIENTS: * 1 lb. lamb loin chops or beef stew meat * 2 onions, finely minced * 2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced * 3 tomatoes, peeled seeded, then crushed * 3 carrots, thinly sliced * 3 medium sized potatoes, chopped * 2 small zucchini * 2 celery stalks * 1/4 cup fresh parsley with stems, * 1/4 cup cilantro with stems. * 2 tablespoon tomato paste * 1 teaspoon black pepper * 1 teaspoon kosher salt * 1/4 cup lemon juice * 1/4 teaspoon tumeric * 1/4 teaspoon saffron * 1 1/2 cup dried chickpeas or garbanzos, soaked overnight (I add some cinnamon and some paprika too) ( Sometimes I add Frik to the soup instead of Garbanzo beans. Frik is something like Bulgar wheat. I add it at the very end and cook for a few more minutes.) (Some people use vermicelli instead of the garbanzos.) PREPARATION: I brown the meat in Olive oil first then add the onion and garlic. Cook those for about 3 mins then add the veggies(except tomatoes) in a large saucepan. Add about 10 cups of water. Using kitchen string, tie the parsley, cilantro and celery together and add that too. You will remove it after cooking. bring to a boil. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste. Be very gently and don't stir vigorously. You want the flavor to escape the tomatoes slowly. Add chickpeas, spice and lemon juice. Slowly stir. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30-35 minutes covered or until meat and chickpeas are done. I have one of those small electric food choppers. looks like a miniature processor. I put the onions and the garlic in it and chop them very fine before I add them. I then put the tomatoes in and process until they are almost liquid. Another thing I do is grate the potatoes, zucchini and the carrots instead of chopping them. I also will throw in a whole pepper, maybe a Jalapeno pepper if you want a little kick. Just remove it when the chorba is done. I cook mine in a pressure cooker. If you dont have a pressure cooker, I dont think 30 to 35 minutes is enough. You may have to cook it longer. Attached Files  dsc02355zk2.jpg   60.24KB   12 downloads Edited by Meriem_setif, 13 September 2007 - 05:04 PM.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-13 16:59:00
Middle East and North Africa	RaMaDaN ReCiPe	Ok Holly, I had chicken thawed, so I am making the Lemon saffron chicken. It is in the fridge marinating now. Thanks for posting. If you have a bread machine, this is a very good an easy recipe for french bread. Goes great with chorba. I hope you enjoy it. Meriem French Bread Yields: 1 loaf Ingredients: * 9 ½ ounces (1 cup 3 Tbsp.) water, 90-100 degrees F * 3-1/2 cups bread flour * 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar * 1-1/4 teaspoon salt * 1 tablespoon butter or margarine * 2 teaspoons active dry yeast or * 1 1/2 teaspoon bread machine or fast rise yeast * 1 egg white, slightly beaten * 1 teaspoon water Add lukewarm water to pan. Add bread flour, sugar and salt to pan. Tap pan to settle dry ingredients, then level ingredients, pushing some of the mixture into corners. Place butter into corners of pan. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add yeast. Lock pan into bread maker. Program for DOUGH. Program TIMER if being used. Start bread maker. When done, remove pan from bread maker. Place dough onto floured surface. Let rest 15 minutes. Roll dough into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Roll up tightly from long side, seal and taper ends. Place seam side down on greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 to 55 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. With sharp knife, make 3 or 4 ¼-inch deep diagonal cuts on top of loaf. Combine egg white with water and brush mixture on top of loaf. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-13 15:29:00
Middle East and North Africa	RaMaDaN ReCiPe	I just finished making a big pot of Chorba frik. It's killing me cause it smells sooo good. I am also making 2 loaves of home made french bread. I use the dough cycle on the bread machine, then remove the dough to make the loaves, let them rise and cook them in the oven. Meriem Edited by Meriem_setif, 13 September 2007 - 02:22 PM.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-13 14:22:00
Middle East and North Africa	RaMaDaN ReCiPe	MMMMMMMM that looks good. I will try that sometime. Chorba, Chicken, homemade french bread is on our menu for tonight.	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-13 06:16:00
Middle East and North Africa	Second Day	Kefta Meatballs with Tomato & Egg is on the menu for tonight. I dont go directly by this recipe, I add and subtract from amounts, cause it is hard to go wrong with these meatballs. You may not like as much garlic or onion, just suit it to your taste. Ingredients: *1 lb ground lamb or beef * 2 garlic cloves minced * 1 small onion minced * 1/2 teaspoon allspice * 1 tsp of cinnamon * 1 teaspoon paprika * chopped fresh parsley (or chopped fresh coriander) * 1 egg * Salt & freshly ground black pepper * Olive oil for frying * Tomato sauce (see recipe below) (The recipe does not call for it, but I put breadcrumbs in this recipe. My MIL puts rice in her meatballs.) Method: 1. In a mixing bowl, mix the meat, garlic, onion, spices, egg, Salt and pepper and the parsley until it is all thoroughly mixed, knead to a smooth mixture. Then wet your hands and roll into 24 walnut sized balls and set aside on a tray. 2. Heat the oil in a fry pan and cook the meatballs until golden brown, then place the meatballs in your tagine. (optional, I just use the same pan, since I dont have a tangine) 3. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs, simmer on the stove top for about 15-20 minutes, and stir so that it does not stick. 4. Break the eggs on to the sauce and cook until the eggs are just set. 5. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley (or coriander) and serve immediately. Tomato Sauce Ingredients: * 400g canned tomatoes * 1 onion finely chopped * 2 garlic cloves minced * 1 dessertspoon tomato paste * 1 dessertspoon honey * Salt & freshly ground black pepper * Olive oil Method: 1. Heat a little oil in a saucepan; add the onions and garlic then cook for about 5 minutes. 2. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste & honey then cook for about 10 minutes and season well I hope you enjoy Meriem	Meriem_DZ	Female	Algeria	2007-09-14 11:12:00