Excellent post Lina

Submitted by Isis (Australia), Apr 4, 2013 at 20:28

Your post contains essential information for anyone considering entering a relationship with a Muslim whether internet based or not. Many women do see these relationships through rose coloured glasses but the culture of the middle east is a far cry from the freedom and economic status that we enjoy in the west.

That said I do disagree with your statement "I've also found Berber men to be even more possessive than Arabs, and I think it's down to a combination of insecurity and their strict honour codes."

I know from experience in these countries that middle eastern men and even those with a Berber background do not suffer from insecurity. Middle Eastern cultures are male dominated and they are secure in the domination of their families, their villages, their tribes, their businesses, their laws. I really don't think that it is ever really possible for a person raised in the west to infiltrate the middle eastern culture totally and comfortably. There will always be issues that do not sit quite right. ie FGM. This is a horrendous example of what is still accepted practice in the middle east and required by the husband-to-be of his bride. How do we as western women ever get over that one?

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".