Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	It's okay... in frustration, i suggested he just go to the corner store and ask the Yemeni guys what they would do... They were really nice, and supposedly... inchallah... keeping our fingers crossed... the storeowner and his brothers are supposed to take us to a different mosque tmrw morning... so we'll see............. We have been trying to get married correctly for both countries US and Morocco for a year and half!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-10 10:49:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	QUOTE (AlHayatZween @ Oct 9 2008, 04:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We are supposed to be re-re-married again this evening at the local mosque... Please wish us luck. Will let you know how it goes... Good morning, MENA, Just an update: We went to the masjid close to our house yesterday, and the Imam who told my husband on Wednesday, that yes, we could do the Islamic ceremony, he just needed to bring me and a few other documents to the masjid on Thursday, then told my husband that no, he couldn't do it... he only leads the prayers ??? On Wednesday, he only spoke to my husband in English (my husband's English is very limited), and last night, the man suddenly spoke Arabic. i waited outside the masjid for my husband, assuming we were going to proceed with the ceremony, waited until after everyone left after evening prayers, when the Imam exited the masjid, made eye contact with me (and my husband, who was explaining to me that we couldn't get married) and then the man did not say a word and just walked away. He offered no explanation as to why he couldn't/wouldn't do the ceremony to which he had agreed the night before, and he offered no insight as to where or how we could do this ceremony.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-10 09:55:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	We are supposed to be re-re-married again this evening at the local mosque... Please wish us luck. Will let you know how it goes...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-09 11:24:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	QUOTE (MrsAmera @ Oct 7 2008, 09:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Call the Moroccan consulate in DC and ask. Ooooooooo... the consulate in DC! that's a good idea. i've called the consulate here in NY a few dozen times and got a response ONCE. maybe the consulate in DC is more phone-friendly. my husband is supposed to go talk to the imam in the local mosque tonight. wish us luck.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-08 11:33:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	Yes, i think you are fine, if you had the Muslim witnesses present, and perhaps a document stating so...? Then, i think the consulate validates the marriage and you are on your way... The problem is if, like me and some others, you didn't have the Muslim witnesses present, or if you have no documentation stating so...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-07 09:49:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	QUOTE (MrsAmera @ Oct 6 2008, 03:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My advice, Do the civil marriage. You can have a seperate religious ceremony at a mosque. This satisfies most governments that have the "must be witnessed by 2 Muslims" clause. You will have 2 certificates, one from the mosque and one from the State of (wherever you live). If you are already civilly married, you can go to the mosque and do the religious ceremony quick and easy. If you do not have children yet, do this now!! Once you have children it throws a curve in, becuase they consider the religious ceremony the "binding" ceremony. So for us our religious ceremony was 2 months after our actual wedding (in May). Our son was born in December. They actually counted the months (based on the Islamic ceremony) to see if we were married when he was conceived. (I said he was premie...). When we tried to register in Morocco they tried to tell us we had to get married "AGAIN" in morocco to file or go back to the states and do it. If we "re-married" in Morocco then we would have to petition the judge to prove our son was born when we were legally married. Basically it's confusing as he**. If you're not Islamically married, setup a time with the imam, spend the 30 minutes and do the ceremony. It will save you loads of headaches! ETA: I've spent countless hours in the Moroccan embassy and consulate here in DC sorting this business out!!! Thanks, Amera... i intend to take care of this this week, inchallah... will report back if i pick up any insight or make any discoveries along the way.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-06 11:14:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	QUOTE (sereia @ Oct 6 2008, 03:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Isn't that rule SO ANNOYING? We searched and searched for a riad for ages last time we were in Morocco because we didn't have proof we were married. Eventually you'd find someone who just wants the money, but it took a lot of searching! Hi Sereia!!! Yes! This is the story of our entire marriage... the religious marriage that we have no documentation for, and now we are in the States, civilly married, and now we need different documents..... i have called/e-mailed the consulate a bunch of times before we had our civil marriage here in New York. We only got one response: And that was to call the Consulate. i just want to get this done, so we can be legal and married and sa fey! Sorry.... venting.... hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-06 10:47:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	Hmmmm... this is so frustrating, especially because my husband is not getting any answers at the local Islamic Center. So if you are just married civilly here in the States, what does that mean exactly? That we can't stay in the same hotel room in Morocco? Arrrrrghh... we have been trying to be legal for soooooooooo long! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-06 10:23:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	Thanks all, for your insight... Unfortunately, we don't have the appropriate paperwork from Morocco. We had the marriage ceremony in a small town and when it came time to do all the legal documents, neither the local or national police knew what to do with me because i had temporary residency... issues with my husband's carte nationale. it was quite a mess and for 2 months we struggled trying to be legal, but it never happened and i had to return home due to health issues. It is a long, but romantic story. Important thing is that we are legal now! Hubbie is inquiring at the local merkez islamia to find out how we can resolve this. Thank you for listening and helping out! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-01 12:05:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	Shukran bzef!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-09-30 14:55:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	Thanks, MsAmera... we have to get to it... Problem is that we have no evidence of our Islamic marriage in Morocco. Can we just go to a merkez islamia here in the states and get remarried so to speak? Thanks again, hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-09-30 14:54:00
Middle East and North Africa	Dear Spouses of Moroccans	Salaam Everybody, Just a quick question, i was wondering: For those of you who got married here in the States, either by K 1 visa, or other means, did you register your marriage with the Moroccan Consulate here? If so, what do they do for you? Do they also provide you with a marriage certificate? (We were married Islamically in Morocco, but not here, so we only have a civil marriage certificate, if that makes any difference.) Many thanks, and Eid Mubarak! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-09-30 12:23:00
Middle East and North Africa	Suspended from Work	Awwww...PB, i'm sorry... But it sounds like you already have some irons in the fire and some plans on the horizon. Might be good time for a change, and they say the best time to go back to school is during a recession! Good luck!! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-16 09:59:00
Middle East and North Africa	Suspended from Work	So sorry, PolarBear, i hope it works out. Normally, i would say take time off and take care of yourself... but with this economy, who knows?? It stinks, but i hope whatever you decide it is for the best!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-14 08:47:00
Middle East and North Africa	So what if Obama were an Arab?	yes, thank you!! i've been thinking this all along!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-15 09:15:00
Middle East and North Africa	Would You Move to ME/NA?	QUOTE (sereia @ Oct 16 2008, 06:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would LOVE to buy a home in Morocco too. But all the places I love are far from yuckie Casablanca where his family lives! It seems to make more sense to own one near them but I'd rather have a home in Fes or Essaouira. Yes, but what about Mohammedia and those other petite cities along the coast between Casa and Rabat? Close enough to either big city to commute... but not situated in nasty, ugly Casablanca (sorry... i don't like Casa )	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-16 14:26:00
Middle East and North Africa	Would You Move to ME/NA?	yes, living in Morocco is always on the table for discussion. we decided to have him come here to get the 10-year green card so he (we) can travel back and forth. if Morocco were on the VWP, then we might have chosen differently. it just stinks because it's so hard for Moroccans to get tourist visas... even if you are both married and living in Maghreb and just want to visit your family in US for a brief period, it's virtually impossible. we also applied for the K1 before the economy completely tanked, so we didn't know how bad it was actually going to get. it's funny now, because his relatives are calling from the middle of the Sahara, asking if he's okay... if he needs work or $$, because they heard the economy is bad in the US.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-16 14:23:00
Middle East and North Africa	Phone call from the Consulate	Sounds like great news!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-20 08:02:00
Middle East and North Africa	Visa in Hand		AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-20 09:20:00
Middle East and North Africa	Islamic marrage in Morocco	QUOTE (star_dragon @ Oct 21 2008, 04:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> At any rate, whenever I go to Morocco (I've been 3 times), we have the option of staying with the family, but we don't. We rent a flat. It's cheaper than a hotel, fully furnished, and noone to answer to... Oh, yes... good point... i had forgotten about renting a flat. That is always a good possibility, too. QUOTE (morocco4ever @ Oct 21 2008, 04:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (star_dragon @ Oct 21 2008, 12:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm confused! She posted today that she decided to go to Morocco and have an engagement party, not get married...But the replies are cautioning her about her rushing into a wedding. Maybe I'm missing something. Could be I didnt' read her reply correctly. Yeah, we are all just planning her life out for her. Yes, we are just planning her wedding and trying to get her to take a trip to Dubai... Oops...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-21 14:01:00
Middle East and North Africa	Islamic marrage in Morocco	Salaam Swanaskas, Welcome to VJ MENA, and it must be so exciting planning for your upcoming trip. Just some thoughts: i think it would be great if you could spend time with your habib's family. Would be great to get to know them, and learn about Maghrebi culture, and all that good stuff, especially since you are considering becoming part of that family and culture. Probably the more time staying with family the better... As for hotels, just keep in mind that it is oftentimes difficult to even stay in the same hotel--nevermind the same room-- as your habib if you are not legally married, without a legal marriage certificate. It can be done !! But be prepared for headaches and paying bribes. You can have an Islamic wedding ceremony with friends and family, but it will not be considered legal until you take the necessary steps with the Moroccan courts and police, and provide them with the necessary documents, a list of which is on the US Consulate Casablanca website. i agree with some of the other posts above, that even though you'll be spending 6 weeks in Morocco, it might look suspicious to the US consulate if you get married the first time meeting. i don't mean to sound like a pessimist, and of course, we all know that you love your habib, but the consulate in Casa is notoriously stringent and inconsistent when approving visa petitions. i noticed you said you were waiting till July to see your fiance? Would it be possible to go visit him in Dubai for a week or so? First, you'd get to meet your sweetheart face-to-face! Second, when you go to Morocco, that would make your second time with him, and then you could probably get married. And Thirdly, you'd get to see Dubai!!! (Okay, maybe i'm projecting my own wishes with the third one ) Good luck and enjoy! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-21 10:51:00
Middle East and North Africa	HE GOT IT!!!!	Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy! Mabruk!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-21 10:28:00
Middle East and North Africa	Is your spouse the jealous type????	Mine is not as jealous as me...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-20 12:15:00
Middle East and North Africa	Things rough for me too!	QUOTE (sereia @ Oct 20 2008, 03:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wow you described me EXACTLY with this comment! I feel like I'm definitely different from who I was before I met my husband. My friends have said so and I know my husband notices a difference too (not that I don't notice a huge difference in him either...)I was living in NYC with a lot of great things going on (great job, friends, fun), only had to worry about myself, no family pressures, baby pressures, immigration, etc. Hopefully we can both get back to our old selves soon. Its definitely an uphill battle though! i'm not sure, but this whole past year, i've been telling myself that my wackiness and mood swings and frustrations with life (and immigration) are only temporary... i feel like i've just walked through a year of darkness, and now my eyes hurt in the sunshine... i think it will get better (emotionally, physically, financially). i'm trying to make short-term goals for myself while slowly, but surely helping Habibi to be more independent.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-20 12:23:00
Middle East and North Africa	Things rough for me too!	QUOTE (brnidokiegurl @ Oct 18 2008, 01:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ahmed has said you are not same person you were here, (hes not here) but senses it, well no im not> there i had no everyday problems hanging over my head. Yes, we've had this conversation, too. And it's true... i'm not the same person i was two years ago. In Morocco, i was having so much fun and making a great salary and everything was great. This past year of moving from one continent to another, immigration, finding and settling in a job i'm not too happy with... it has really taken a toll on my energy and optimism. i feel like i've aged 10 years. But we talk about it, and it's hard, and we are hopeful that we will both get back to our "regular" selves (albeit with more gray hair) when we finally get something settled! Inchallah... inchallah... Nutty, you know what's best for you. Good luck to you, and if you have the opportunity to travel and go someplace you love, then do it... i hope for only the best for you. ~ hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-20 09:19:00
Middle East and North Africa	Things rough for me too!	N, Was he always a little emotionally distant, or is this a complete turnaround since he moved here? hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-16 09:03:00
Middle East and North Africa	Things rough for me too!	QUOTE (Hanging in there @ Oct 15 2008, 07:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You need to tell him the truth about money. You need to explain to him exactly what is happening. Do not expect him to understand wihtout explaining everything. Show him bills . Get out a calculator. I think sometimes some of these guys think we are rich or will pull money out of rear ends.ITS NOT YOU.. Trust me i agree. a lot of our guys come from places where not only are things not as expensive, but bills are just paid differently. electric bills are paid only every couple of months; rent just changes hands in cash; telephones are pay as you go. i am slowly, but surely coaching my husband on the costs of things here and how to budget. it's not easy to say the least. and the weight of having to be financially responsible for another person can be very stressful. Glad you are trying to take care of yourself though... if staying with your mom on the weekend takes the pressure off for a couple of hours, more power to you.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-15 15:24:00
Middle East and North Africa	Things rough for me too!	Hi Nutty, So sorry to hear you are having a rough time. Hang in there... It has been a really, really tough few months for us, too... and i find myself utterly exhausted and depleted on most days. i'm trying to look for the bright side, and i remind myself of how miserable i was when he was so far away... and i try to remember how everyone says the first year is the hardest... i hope you feel better! And i hope you can talk to him so he straightens out a little bit. Really hope it's just a rough patch.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-15 14:01:00
Middle East and North Africa	Need clarification on something, regarding...PORK!	QUOTE (Rajaa_Reda @ Oct 24 2008, 03:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I posted in my Muslim thread asking about Gold now lol....... if anyone has any input on that one check out the thread And thanks... unfortunatly for me i lOVE crab!!!! but that has been in my mind for some time and haven't eaten it since... Hmmmmmmm... i think you are fine w/ shellfish ... Not haraam according to Islam...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-24 10:46:00
Middle East and North Africa	Need clarification on something, regarding...PORK!	QUOTE (Rajaa_Reda @ Oct 24 2008, 02:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> if that is indeed one of the reasons should we not take a look at say crab...(bottom feeder of the ocean). Yeah... if we are talking Moses's laws, then all shellfish are out b/c of the dirty bottomfeeder thing... but the restrictions vary among the three religions. but i'm no expert either! Edited by AlHayatZween, 24 October 2008 - 10:02 AM.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-24 10:01:00
Middle East and North Africa	Need clarification on something, regarding...PORK!	QUOTE (SimoAndYvette @ Oct 24 2008, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> and he also is wanting to put a pool in the back yard for me. well, hey if you get a swimming pool out of the deal that is way cool!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-24 09:47:00
Middle East and North Africa	Need clarification on something, regarding...PORK!	QUOTE (morocco4ever @ Oct 24 2008, 01:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am surprised that these things weren't discussed in advance. Pork is forbidden, yes. I can't say I know for sure the exact reason, but pigs are viewed as very dirty animals in Islam. I knew this before I married my husband, and it made no difference because I had stopped eating pork before I met him. Not for the same reason, but because I think it tastes nasty. So this is not an issue for us. Even if I did eat pork this is one of those things that wouldn't be a big deal to me, so I would have given on this one. Hi Yvette, So others have already mentioned that pork is haraam and specifically mentioned in the Qur'an... Me, too, M4E, i can't say for sure what the exact reason is... i feel like this is something i should know!! My guess is that pork was forbidden under Moses's laws much, much earlier... in the Torah and Old Testament. Pigs are bottom-feeders and will eat garbage and their own feces... You can get really sick (and perhaps in some instances in ancient times die) from it not being cooked properly... i would guess that the religious law stems somehow from these practical facts... As for you giving it up... totally your decision... Take your time and decide what's right for you. Edited by AlHayatZween, 24 October 2008 - 09:40 AM.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-24 09:40:00
Middle East and North Africa	Wishing Jenn the best of luck today!	that's awesome! congratulations on finishing the 6th exam...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-30 08:45:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Halloween!	Wooooooooo! Happy Halloween MENA!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-31 08:44:00
Middle East and North Africa	Its official	Mabrouk! Much luck and happiness to you both!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-11-03 10:43:00
Middle East and North Africa	The 'Linda, HLM & Lulu' thread	Wooohoo! Good luck everybody... here's wishing you the best and hoping for very good news!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-10-30 08:42:00
Middle East and North Africa	RAM(Royal air maroc) airlines	Hi NoPalavar, Congrats on your fiance's visa! Yes, my husband (fiance at the time ) had the same problem... At the RAM offices in Rabat, they all insisted he buy a return ticket... which we bought because we were scared he'd have problems. The truth is that he didn't need it. No one in the airport in Casa gave him any problems and no immigration people gave him problems here. We ended up throwing away the return... Once he came here, and we tried to change the return ticket, in hopes of one day actually using it, or at least saving some of our money, RAM wouldn't bundge. We ended up losing a lot of money. So, yeah... don't let the travel agents in Morocco scare you... you only need a one way. Good luck! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-11-06 17:24:00
Middle East and North Africa	Continuation of "it's not been a bed of roses."	Hi Nutty! Feel better... i just wanted to send a note to tell you that it will get better soon. Just to commiserate, me too, I am exhausted as all hell. It's a lot more tiring and stressful than i thought it would be, and i find myself getting irritated and annoyed by little things, a lot more than i used to. Just hang in... he will find a job soon. And really, just any old job is good to start... It will help him get a handle on the language, accent, and vernacular; he'll learn the costs of things better; and hopefully, it will give him a chance to adjust to the culture. And even if it's not great-paying, any couple of dimes and nickels will help with the bills. Hope you feel better. And get some rest! At least we have a long weekend coming up! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-08-25 16:40:00
Middle East and North Africa	Happy Birthday MrsAmera!	Wooo-hoo!!! Happy Birthday!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-11-10 10:52:00
Middle East and North Africa	You know you're in a MENA relationship when....	QUOTE (Y_habibitk @ Nov 17 2008, 01:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ok, I have a good one.... When people start asking.."sooo...are you gonna have to start wearing that thing on your head?" Yes, i got that one in the beginning... okay, you know you're in a MENA relationship when: you find yourself getting into heated debates about Islam and religious history, and there is never any resolution...and your spouse is convinced you just have it all wrong... until weeks or months later, you overhear him debating with someone else and using your arguments, direct quotes and all!! the sweetness of quiet victory!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-11-16 22:54:00