Sometimes even these criteria don't work....

Submitted by Dreams Destroyed (United Kingdom), Jul 30, 2014 at 09:10

Hi Isis,

I always like reading your posts and they are proving of comfort to me as I go through the breakdown of my 4 year marriage to an Egyptian. Sadly mine is tertiary educated, has a degree in English, was working as a teacher in Dubai when I met him, and is accepting of Western ways having dated a number of Westerners. We met and married in Dubai and have been living in the UK for 4 years and been blissfully happy. Ive embraced Islam, learnt Arabic, Cook Arab foods. I've always been a secret to his parents and throughout our marriage they've pressurised him to have an arranged marriage as he is 34 and the oldest son. I'm 44.

He has always fought them but now they've disowned him until he agrees to the marriage as they say he is shaming the family. He said he can't take losing them so has given me up. So no major red flags here really......just the pull of the family is always too great and I think the Western wife will always lose.

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