Non-Muslims married to Muslim MENA

[sarahaziz 0]

The first two conflicts in your list are over land, not religion. Casual observers may become confused because the opposing sides are of different religions/ethnicities. But if you study the roots of these two conflicts, you will see a similar pattern -- the invasion by a more powerful group of foreigners/outsiders, and their forcible confiscation and "settlement" of native-owned land.

Several of the others on your list have been quite over-simplified as well. Do not underestimate the motivations of wealth, power, and competition for resources and strategic influence.

I think ganja girl was right. The land is "holy" therefore they are fighting to save a religious holy land.

You may think so, but if you will read some history, you will see otherwise:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulted from competing Jewish and Arab national aspirations for the region of Palestine, conflicting promises by the British in the forms of the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence and the Balfour Declaration of 1917, and several outbreaks of violence between Jewish and Arab residents of the region of Palestine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli-Palestinian_conflict

The conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Jews is a modern phenomenon, which began around the turn of the 20th century. Although these two groups have different religions (Palestinians include Muslims, Christians and Druze), religious differences are not the cause of the conflict. It is essentially a struggle over land.

http://www.merip.org/palestine-israel_prim...isr-primer.html

At the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute over land and borders.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/midd...tml/default.stm

Of course the territory of Ireland is not considered the "Holy Land," but like I said, it is also a conflict over land:

The origins of conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the north of Ireland lie in the British settler-colonial Plantation of Ulster in 1609, which confiscated native owned land and settled Ulster with (mainly Protestant) English and Scottish "planters".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles

I don't mean to derail the thread. We can discuss the subject further if you like in a new topic.

The fight over that holy land goes way way back. I understand your point of view, but I also suggest you read further back in history. Posting modern links it's not relevant. It's just sugar coating the fight b/t Palestine and Israel in my opinion.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

So is Egypt mostly a Shiite country?

No. Egypt is predominantly Sunni (as is most of ME/NA.)

Shi'a are the majority in Iran, Azerbaijan and Iraq, with sizeable populations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, India, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. There are also significant numbers of Shi'a in the Emirates, Afghanistan, Turkey, Yemen, and some other countries.

[doodlebugg 10]

The first two conflicts in your list are over land, not religion. Casual observers may become confused because the opposing sides are of different religions/ethnicities. But if you study the roots of these two conflicts, you will see a similar pattern -- the invasion by a more powerful group of foreigners/outsiders, and their forcible confiscation and "settlement" of native-owned land.

Several of the others on your list have been quite over-simplified as well. Do not underestimate the motivations of wealth, power, and competition for resources and strategic influence.

I think ganja girl was right. The land is "holy" therefore they are fighting to save a religious holy land.

You may think so, but if you will read some history, you will see otherwise:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulted from competing Jewish and Arab national aspirations for the region of Palestine, conflicting promises by the British in the forms of the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence and the Balfour Declaration of 1917, and several outbreaks of violence between Jewish and Arab residents of the region of Palestine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli-Palestinian_conflict

The conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Jews is a modern phenomenon, which began around the turn of the 20th century. Although these two groups have different religions (Palestinians include Muslims, Christians and Druze), religious differences are not the cause of the conflict. It is essentially a struggle over land.

http://www.merip.org/palestine-israel_prim...isr-primer.html

At the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute over land and borders.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/midd...tml/default.stm

Of course the territory of Ireland is not considered the "Holy Land," but like I said, it is also a conflict over land:

The origins of conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the north of Ireland lie in the British settler-colonial Plantation of Ulster in 1609, which confiscated native owned land and settled Ulster with (mainly Protestant) English and Scottish "planters".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles

I don't mean to derail the thread. We can discuss the subject further if you like in a new topic.

The fight over that holy land goes way way back. I understand your point of view, but I also suggest you read further back in history. Posting modern links it's not relevant. It's just sugar coating the fight b/t Palestine and Israel in my opinion.

oh no you *didn't*

[Beauty for Ashes 257]

I just want to say that what Bridget is saying is correct regarding the embassy. They are the reason why lots of couples were not allowed to legalize and register their marriages. I know this firsthand, done been there and tried it.

I just sat here and read 17 pages of debates on the way people live their life and it makes me ill to my stomach to see the judgement passed onto others. This is my first post that I have written to where I am almost ashamed to have joined this site. I came here for support and advice and not to be judged. I personally did not join into this conversation because of this reason until now.

I am not thoroughly educated on Islam to comment but I do take offense when people start slandering others, especially when there is a child involved. I would think that it should be up to Allah to judge if a sin has been committed. Posts such as some of these are so offensive that a non-believer could be so turned off and never want to have anything to do with religion. What a shame that would be!

First , I am asthmatic and I am pregnant but I have had enough of this.

First,

I am muslim and in the eyes of most muslims including Imams,both these couples are married. Intention is 90 percent of everything in Islam.When you pray you pray with intention. You clean your heart and you make your intentions known to Allah.If you are legally right about things but have horrible intentions, God knows this.

I believe that no muslim scholar ,nor Imam would abuse these young couples like VW has . I do believe that she herself would be an object of scorn,not only marrying outside of Islam but then making partners with Allah (shirk) and deeming herself to be some kind of Islamic scholar,debating with people born in MENA countries who can walk down the street to the largest Islamic Universitites and think tanks in the world.

She is NOT representative of most of the people here and their opinions. Over the years she has gotten into debates with other NATIVE BORN arabs about the Arabic language,Islam and tons of other things. Many of us are also well traveled and well read as well..She has deemed herself some kind of expert on all things arab when she is a 3rd generation arab living in the USA with over a 2 year journey through uscis (shes been married for over 2 years to someone much younger than herself...my guess is the age difference is over 20 years at least)

I am fed up with the generalising and self rightous snotty rantings of people like her. There are several young couples with babies coming out of Egypt with babies and all faced the paperwork problem. We are here to be friends to each other not self rightous wild haired old nasty hags to these young people....Im over it and I am sorry if i offend anyone but enough is enough.

[doodlebugg 10]

It s completely horrible what people are insinuating...Their marriage is halal and that hag should lay off these kids

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The fight over that holy land goes way way back. I understand your point of view, but I also suggest you read further back in history. Posting modern links it's not relevant. It's just sugar coating the fight b/t Palestine and Israel in my opinion.

Did you even read the links ? Because they cover ancient history as well.

But in a nutshell, there *were* no battles over the Holy Land between Jews and Palestinian Arabs -- not until modern times.

[Caladan 19]

The first two conflicts in your list are over land, not religion. Casual observers may become confused because the opposing sides are of different religions/ethnicities. But if you study the roots of these two conflicts, you will see a similar pattern -- the invasion by a more powerful group of foreigners/outsiders, and their forcible confiscation and "settlement" of native-owned land.

Several of the others on your list have been quite over-simplified as well. Do not underestimate the motivations of wealth, power, and competition for resources and strategic influence.

I think ganja girl was right. The land is "holy" therefore they are fighting to save a religious holy land.

You may think so, but if you will read some history, you will see otherwise:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulted from competing Jewish and Arab national aspirations for the region of Palestine, conflicting promises by the British in the forms of the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence and the Balfour Declaration of 1917, and several outbreaks of violence between Jewish and Arab residents of the region of Palestine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli-Palestinian_conflict

The conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Jews is a modern phenomenon, which began around the turn of the 20th century. Although these two groups have different religions (Palestinians include Muslims, Christians and Druze), religious differences are not the cause of the conflict. It is essentially a struggle over land.

http://www.merip.org/palestine-israel_prim...isr-primer.html

At the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute over land and borders.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/midd...tml/default.stm

Of course the territory of Ireland is not considered the "Holy Land," but like I said, it is also a conflict over land:

The origins of conflict between Catholics and Protestants in the north of Ireland lie in the British settler-colonial Plantation of Ulster in 1609, which confiscated native owned land and settled Ulster with (mainly Protestant) English and Scottish "planters".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles

I don't mean to derail the thread. We can discuss the subject further if you like in a new topic.

The fight over that holy land goes way way back. I understand your point of view, but I also suggest you read further back in history. Posting modern links it's not relevant. It's just sugar coating the fight b/t Palestine and Israel in my opinion.

But the fight is over modern problems. Saying 'oh, it's just historical' is too often cheap absolution from the responsibilities of recent history. Sure, there's historical tensions, but they'd be historical curiosities if not for actual policies and action done in this past century.

[sereia 0]

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

here we go again

[sarahaziz 0]

I fear for some ( no names ) people on this board some who give their dreams and desires up to letting one spouse put their mother/father/siblings before the other spouse and continue to take extreme authority over the woman. I don't know the whole situation for anyone but I pray no woman will let a man have all the say where she has no say. A wife is not a child, she is a woman intelligent strong mentally and emotionally to be there when her husband falls. She keeps her husband in the right path, no drinking no smoking, nothing that could harm him. I've said it before and I think it has a little to do with this subject, Spouse first then Parents. If you live in dream land and let a spouse run all over you what happens if they are not there for you tomorrow? How will you been independent when you've been so dependant on ones words and actions? My dad taught me to be a strong woman with a husband or without . My only purpose in this life is to serve God not to live in my spouses will. I fear for some who give it all to their spouse. A man can never be God and he can never fill that void in your heart forever. He will disappoint you, make you cry, make up, he has his own desires and dreams, But God will always accept you and be there. I really hope nobody converts just bec it sounds like a "cool exotic religion/culture" If you die tomorrow what would happen with your spouse? Marry again or stay in your memories. This isn't to hurt anybody but it's to really look inside and live a full healthy life.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

charles i got pizza again

[morocco4ever 63]

Am I on time for pizza today? I still have spaghettios stuck in my teeth from yesterday.

[doodlebugg 10]

charles i got pizza again

I have some chicken kabob and a diet bebsi

[sereia 0]

i brought ice cream sundaes for dessert!

[sarahaziz 0]

The fight over that holy land goes way way back. I understand your point of view, but I also suggest you read further back in history. Posting modern links it's not relevant. It's just sugar coating the fight b/t Palestine and Israel in my opinion.

Did you even read the links ? Because they cover ancient history as well.

But in a nutshell, there *were* no battles over the Holy Land between Jews and Palestinian Arabs -- not until modern times.

It sounds like a good subject to research personally someday. News from Tv or Online I just don't believe them so quickly like that. Anybody can write up a report and post it and if you lookup from other sites you're going to find history notes contradict each other. They usually have facade to it or incorrect information unless somebody thoroughly analyzes it. Not saying your wrong I just don't buy it just yet.