can love overcome all these cultural differences -

salam alaykum and hello to everyone,

I hope this is the right forum to post my worries.

Well, first of all I�d like to say some words about me.my name is Linn�a, I�m a 26 year old girl from Sweden. I still go to university and was raised in a Protestant family.

About a year ago, I met him�on facebook (what a clich�) He mistook me for someone else and sent me a message.He actually wanted to send it to another one with the same name like me.

Nevertheless, we started talking.first on facebook.later on skype.his name is Mohamed, he�s 28 years old, a doctor and from Egypt.He lives in Cairo and is a practicing Muslim.We spent countless evenings talking for hours about whatever came to our minds.We noticed that we have the same opinions about many things, the same sense of humour and it never got boring.not even for a minute.after two months I agreed to send him one photo of me, I actually don�t have any photos of me on the internet.during all these months our conversations never got too intimate (if you know what I mean), never inappropriate.

by time I noticed how much I missed him when he was having long shifts in the hospital.but I was too shy to tell him this.then, in March this year two friends and me decided to go on a trip to Egypt with a Swedish travel group.Cairo and a cruise on the nile.I was always interested in Egyptian history.

When he heard about it, he was really happy.We spent five days in Cairo with the travel group and I met him every day.Not alone.my friends were always there and he also brought his cousin with him.The last day he introduced me to his family.I even wore hijab and his family really liked me (I was so happy). We got along with each other so well but there was no intimate contact.nothing but a handshake.

he told me that he loves me.that he feels like I�m his soulmate.I told him that I feel the same for him.since our meeting we continued talking to each other almost every evening and we still do.
his military service will end in five months.he was always planning to work as a doctor in England for some years.He�s talking about a future together, about marriage, about children.

He�s the most awesome man I�ve ever met in my whole life.Every day I thank God for sending him into my life.I truly love him and he deserves nothing but the best.but that�s the �problem��
I�m afraid that I�m not good enough for him�maybe good enough isn�t the right expression.I�m afraid he might not be as happy as he deserves to be with me.Islam is his number one in life.I�m not Muslim�actually I know much about Islam�but I�m not a Muslim and I don�t know if I ever become one.

I don�t want him to look back in some years and regret to have chosen me�to regret that he didn�t chose a woman from his culture/religion.i�m not sure if I can understand and fulfill all the �expectations� he has about his wife. and the children � if we have some (hopefully).he told me they would be Muslims.would I - as their mother - be able to raise them accordingly?
and he told me that after some years abroad, he definitely wants to return to Egypt.Living in Egypt�could I live there?what do I know about life there?not much�and the language.i do speak some Arabic (I did a course some years ago)�but could I live there for the rest of my life?

there are just so many questions about our future in my mind.I�m asking myself if love � and it�s true love � is strong enough to overcome such differences�and as I said, what I really wish for is to see him happy

I thank everyone who took her/his time to read this text.
And I�d really appreciate to hear your opinion/thoughts/advice about it.
Many Thanks

Dear Abuayisha,

Thank you very much for your reply and kind words.

You're right - unfortunately, there are countless stories where men from poorer countries marry women from richer countries just because of citizenship. I'm and I'll remain cautious but fortunately I've no reason to think like that so far.


"And by the way, according to his religion he has courted you improperly."
Would you mind explaining to me why it was improperly?I'd really appreciate it.


Again thank you and I also wish you all the best!

Dear Honeto,

Thank you so much for your reply!
Reading your story helped me quite a lot because it showed me that it can work.
And I'm really happy for you and your wife - I hope you'll always be happy together.


I've started learning about Islam long before I met him. And he encourages me to learn more about Islam and told me that he hopes that I'll become a Muslim one day. I really like what I've read about Islam so far but converting is a big decision. I would never convert to Islam just because of him. I'd only do it if I was convinced that it's the truth and so far I have to learn much more about it to make such a decision. I remember when we were talking about children, he told me that our children have to be Muslims and I accepted it.

So far we get along together extremely well and we really love each other. We planned to marry next year but recently it seems that we both worry about our future together. I feel that he became somehow insecure. That's why I started this topic. Today he told me that he doesn't want me to regret it one day. That he's different than the Europeans. That he doesn't want to experience the day when I say that I can't stand it anymore. I told him that I love him for who he is. I love that he's religious. That he has values. I love him for his great personality. I wouldn't change him.

But all his worries made me worry if I can make him happy. Although I'm not the "typical" European girl (if you can say it like that). No ex-boyfriends, no parties, no male friends...but I'm also not like a woman from his culture. Can he be happy with me? I feel like he would be happier with a woman from his culture...

I truly love him and want him to be happy...and I'm afraid of losing him

I feel like there's a thunder storm in my head.

Essalam aleikoum Linnea:),

from all what you said i can give u some advices which can help u to remove all doubts which surroundings You just follow them ok:

1/try to understand and studie all of islam, i mean duties, laws, life with it.

2/try to know how is woman laws in islam, duties, life.

3/try to know more and more about muslim's life in egypt for example, will u adapt in ur new life?

4/how will be ur parent reaction, will they accept ur decesions respect them concerning ur new life with ur futur muslim husband? what about islam religion will if u decide to convert to islam how can u explain or convincing ur parent about that subject?

so linnea i thing before any feet which u want to do u should take ur new futur life seriously

finaly i wish u the best and i hope that U make a dept research about islam in order to get good argument in order to make face from all what u will have.

regards.