What is the stupidest thing you have heard because your with a MENA SO ?

[merijan 0]

Yes, I've been told to watch Not Without My Daughter too...by my own family! They are convinced he will isolate me from my family and friends and abuse me. And someone at work said "how do you know he's not a terrorist?" LOL. And of course they all say don't go to Iran! And then I got, oh he's Persian? So he's from Persia?

Yes, I've been told to watch Not Without My Daughter too...by my own family! They are convinced he will isolate me from my family and friends and abuse me. And someone at work said "how do you know he's not a terrorist?" LOL. And of course they all say don't go to Iran! And then I got, oh he's Persian? So he's from Persia?

if you havent watch this one ...Lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpaYj_tjwLc

[KHPerfectMatch 1]

Let's see.....

1) What is his favorite Christmas song? (After I reminded them that he's Muslim they said, "Well what about ingle Bells, that isn't religious..." I couldn't make them believe that he really has NEVER celebrated Christmas!

2) When I took off time when he first got here from Egypt and told my boss why I needed time off,he said, "Oh I totally know what he's going through coming here from Egypt... I wasn't born here either." I asked him where he came here from (this good old boy who looks like John Denver and has a southern accent) and he told me he was born on an army base in England because his father was in the US military.... and he gets hassled all the time when he enters the country because he was born in "Birmingham".... and they always say, WHAT? WHERE IS THAT????? Oh yeah right dude, you know EXACTLY what my husband is going through...

3) Same boss looked at the photo I have of H on my cubicle wall and said "Oh my, he's an Egyptian ? He is really GOOD LOOKING!!!!".

4) Previous boss said of my ex-husband "Are you sure he's an arab? He looks like a Jewish lawyer from Miami!" After meeting my husband at a wedding...

5) Nurse in the hospital when I had my son said "You can't put Caucasian on the birth certificate with him having a name like THAT"... (my son had bright blue eyes and light brown hair)

6)Does your husband make you wear that thing on your head?

7) Did your husband force you to convert? Did you have to become Muslim to be allowed to marry him?

8) "You seem so independent and smart, how could you join a religion that enslaves women?"

9) From an Egyptian woman at an Eid Party "Whatever you do, don't bring his kids here, the next thing you know he will bring their Mom and you'll be a 2nd wife, or even WORSE, single!"

10) From my Egyptian friends, "Why do you want to marry him? You already have a son.... And besides, you're 50."

11) Advice from an Imam in Egypt who is a family friend... "Be sure to have a baby right away so you can secure your place in the family and your inheritance if something happens, God Forbid, to him."

12) From my friend in Egypt, "It will never work between the two of you because he isn't 7 years older than you... and everyone knows that's the only way to ensure a successful marriage... " (Her brother is 42 and his Canadian wife is 53, but HE IS DIFFERENT.)

Oh heck I could go on forever, but it's too depressing remembering all the junk I've heard in 30 years of being with MENA men and having crazy last names...

[nunyab 0]

Let's see...

Where is morocco is that in Europe?

Did you ride a camel?

When I went there the first time everyone thought I was going to be kidnapped and sold into some sort of sex slavery (hehehehe)

"how can a woman like you be in a subserviant religion"

ohhhh about the visa process

Why doesn't he just wait here until he gets his visa?

or once your married he gets to come over doesn't he?

he's only using you for a green card (how many of us have heard that one?)

In regards to hijab

ma'am these are just "random" checks (3rd "random" one in a span of 200 yards at the airport)

where are you from "america" i replay they ask again "NO WHERE ARE YOU FROM" louder and slower i reply the same way "BORN & RAISED AMERICAN" dork

Have been told my scarf is beatiful mashallah

and my boss always asks me every time we eat if I am fasting or not

There is more but i am going to bed. HOpe everyone has a great night

[childress_london 3]

Yes, I've been told to watch Not Without My Daughter too...by my own family! They are convinced he will isolate me from my family and friends and abuse me. And someone at work said "how do you know he's not a terrorist?" LOL. And of course they all say don't go to Iran! And then I got, oh he's Persian? So he's from Persia?

Yes, I've been told to watch Not Without My Daughter too...by my own family! They are convinced he will isolate me from my family and friends and abuse me. And someone at work said "how do you know he's not a terrorist?" LOL. And of course they all say don't go to Iran! And then I got, oh he's Persian? So he's from Persia?

if you havent watch this one ...Lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpaYj_tjwLc

OH yes, I've seen this comedian. He is hilarious! LOL.

Oh and I love it at the end when he says "we blow you up then we hug you."

Edited December 23, 2008 by childress_london

[Nothing1234 2]

Well M4E, don't you know what he's waiting for? For his future bride from overseas to reach 18!

Because as you know: Don't they marry children there? 'LOL:

I'm on a roll. I have to think of more silly ones.

Nawal, your babies are about the cutest kids ever. Mini Santas! squeeeeee!

Aww...Thank you! That's what we thought...Santa's lil helpers

[Henia 11]

LOL Nawal ... you are funny! I heard that one too ... with me until real bride turns 18 ... and/or until he gets himself together in order to treat like a queen LOL! Then my mum keeps telling my daugther, if they try you marry you off (she's 9) to run away and call her LOOLOLOLOL! (from some story she saw in the TV about this Yemenis girl also 9 being married off to a 70yr old) Also when telling my family about what's going on with my son - their response was that it's cos I'm married to HIM! Jesus is punishing me!

Edited December 23, 2008 by Henia

[star_dragon 0]

Wow....well, I haven't gotten many dumb comments yet. Not too many. I mean besides the "Is Morocco safe?" questions, which really I don't think is a dumb question at all. I had wondered that myself the first time I went there on vacation. lol. OH, there was this one long email from an ex-coworker who was very concerned about everything and asked me to consider all these things like "what does he think about menstruation" "does he think you're as smart as him".... Which is funny cause he's always telling me how much smarter I am than him

I've found the opposite - that many of my friends are pretty well informed about the culture already. They just ask me specific questions about traditions and stuff like that.

But...I did have one friend who claimed that "she knew because she was in the military" that even when he got the visa and was here, he's muslim, so the government would be keeping a close watch on him and could deport him anytime they wanted.

Another time I told her I was having dinner with a muslim girl I met, and she told me "PLEASE don't convert!!!"

granted, I'm no longer friends with this person. We went on a vacation together in the fall, and she got on my damn nerves with more trash talk and then started up on other stuff not related to him, so we came back from that trip sitting on the opposite ends of the plane and not being friends anymore

[Tunisia216 2]

I think we've been pretty blessed with a great family and friends and a lot of understanding because my Mum did it first (LOL) but I've heard things such as :

Upon entering a family wedding my cousin's redneck husband (meeting Jihed for the first time) says "Did someone check his shoes? " He said it like a joke but my step dad got offended and retorted to him, "No, no one has to check his shoes because it's in my shoes, now can you stand a little closer please? "

My other favorite, probably specific to the NA part of MENA is "Where is your husband from? " He's from Tunisia "Where is that? " It's in North Africa, you know the northern coast, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt. "Oh, well if he's from Africa, why isn't he black? " Are you really that stupid?

Of course the comments mostly from people who barely know me regarding green cards, hijab, Islam, converting, stealing our children and running away etc. And I get comments from distant family members about how it didn't work so well for my Mother (they are alluding to my real father and the situation that happened between them) so why did I make her same mistake, etc.

But I think his favorite are the comments he gets at work about his name. He's got a few people that just call him Joe and others that struggle with his name so instead just kinda gesture to him when they want him. But my favorite is his manager who takes great pleasure in getting on the intercom and paging "JIHAD JIHAAAD to customer service PLEASE" Actually yesterday a guy came in the store that Jihed said he thinks was of Indian descent and looked at Jihed's name tag and said, your name is Jihed? Jihed told him yup that's my name. He said you know it's the same as Jihad, right? Do you know what that means? No it's my name but I've no clue what it means lol.

I think it's just more of the stuff that makes our lives interesting and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Some things asked I can understand that people are just curious about, like riding a camel or how life was in Egypt for Adam.

But I think its plain ignornant when people ask him why didnt he marry a black women instead of a white women since hes from Africa. That part makes me a bit annoyed. And some people have told him hes one of "them" bcz hes from Africa even though he tells them hes actually Arab, and once again when they find out hes married to a white woman they say hes not one of them. As if I make a difference to who Adam actually is?

And there is 2 Jamaican guys that have called him a terrorist bcz they found out hes Egyptian. I told Adam just to ignore their stupid comments.

But most of the time hispanic people think hes one of them and will start speaking in spanish to him. It actually happens alot.

And another time in the mall, 2 middle eastern muslim women working in a jewelry shop. We entered in and they spoke to Adam in Spanish. He said to them back in English, Im doing good thank you for asking and Im Egyptian not Mexican! They were SHOCKED!

[doodlebugg 10]

Before my parents met him my mom asked if *I* was going to blow her up when I got back from Egypt. We didn't talk for a few months after that.

Now that people know him they don't make comments although his coworkers call him "bin Laden" all the time though it doesn't bother him. They're all like "hey bin Laden.......can you help us out in the kitchen?" The manager hates that though 'cause it makes the customers turn their heads to him.

Once my mom calmed down she came over the house and brought him an elephant and apologized for not knowing which way it should face for good luck. I still don't get that one.

[Tunisia216 2]

Yes Tamara I totally forgot about that! Everyone is convinced he's Mexican or of Hispanic descent and in the street they try to speak to him in Spanish. We have a large Mexican population in our town and at least a few times a week someone will walk up to him and start speaking in Spanish and he says, "I don't speak Spanish!! I speak English, French and Arabic" So they keep talking and talking (thinking he's hiding the fact that he secretly does speak Spanish ) and so he says " Estoy de Tunisino. Soy arabe " And they give him a major look

[prince+angel 3]

One of my good friends said to me last night, "So whats your hubby doing for Christmas?"

Uhmmm HELLO! - doesnt celebrate it!

[prince+angel 3]

Oh Ash!

I love that pic you have up - reminds me soo much of Tunisia, lots of good memories of my time there - YOU REALLY BOUGHT A SMILE TO MY FACE TODAY - THANK YOU cause I sure was missing him hard a moment ago!

Yes Tamara I totally forgot about that! Everyone is convinced he's Mexican or of Hispanic descent and in the street they try to speak to him in Spanish. We have a large Mexican population in our town and at least a few times a week someone will walk up to him and start speaking in Spanish and he says, "I don't speak Spanish!! I speak English, French and Arabic" So they keep talking and talking (thinking he's hiding the fact that he secretly does speak Spanish ) and so he says " Estoy de Tunisino. Soy arabe " And they give him a major look

[Tunisia216 2]

Whenever I'm feeling upset or bothered, I just close my eyes and picture the sea around Sidi bou Said or Nabuel and I feel better again and totally calm. I think there is something in the air there that makes all the problems go away. Glad to make you smile.

Oh Ash!

I love that pic you have up - reminds me soo much of Tunisia, lots of good memories of my time there - YOU REALLY BOUGHT A SMILE TO MY FACE TODAY - THANK YOU cause I sure was missing him hard a moment ago!

Yes Tamara I totally forgot about that! Everyone is convinced he's Mexican or of Hispanic descent and in the street they try to speak to him in Spanish. We have a large Mexican population in our town and at least a few times a week someone will walk up to him and start speaking in Spanish and he says, "I don't speak Spanish!! I speak English, French and Arabic" So they keep talking and talking (thinking he's hiding the fact that he secretly does speak Spanish ) and so he says " Estoy de Tunisino. Soy arabe " And they give him a major look

[caybee 21]

Did you ride a camel?

I like this one. The only camel my husband has ever even seen in person is the kind they dress up and take to the squares for tourist photos.