Non muslims in a Muslim Country..

[Marriednow 4]

I am carring this over from the Tuesday thread.. I'm just curious how people Do.. when they go to a Muslim country and start to cover.. I have seen people say this before... that when they visit their SO.. they cover in that country they cover as to not stick out...

are you seriously gonna have to wear abaya's / hijab out there??? your not even muslim. Is it really a requirement? (why does the spelling of that word not look right....)

Ive seen pictures with non covered woman in Saudi

I think unless you are living on a western compound, the abaya is really "necessary."

well.. I have gotten used to being fully covered and dealing with the heat.. and I do mean.. clothes.. abaya.. arm covers.. underscarf and hijab.. all 100 layers ...

BUT i would think it would be SOOO hard to be a non muslim.. who Never covered.. to then move to saudi.. where in July its 120+ degrees.. where you then have to cover..

Maybe I'll make this a new thread... Since it's not Tuesday anymore

I have gone to Morocco twice, am Christian, and did not cover my head. Hamid is perfectly ok with this. The funny things was, his parents had a beautiful djalaba made for me. Hamid and I took pics, but he ran in and put on American style clothes and there I was in the Djalaba. He is fine with what I wear, other than really short skirts, which I am too old to wear anyway.

We blended in with the crowds in Marrakech where he works. I was sorta shocked at all the boobs and stomachs hanging out of the women's/tourists' clothes there--not much respect. But in Casa in March (I think I was the only white woman there) and in Youssoufia, I get all kinds of stares from the men. Who knows, cuz I'm white, old, or whatever--lol. I wear shorts that come to my knees, no sleeveless anyway (dont wanna expose those ham hocks).

When we were in Essouria (sorry about the spelling) for their reggae music festival, there were all types of folks there. However, the police seem to always be after us. At the airport, if he hugs me, there they are. Then at the music festival, we decided to leave the crowd and go sit at a cafe. I started walking away fast, and Hamid put his hand on my shoulder. The police were there in like 3 seconds asking what he was doing. Not used to that. I told him I guess people will always be looking at us--age, color, cultural differences. We'd better get used to it.

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS--Hamid wants meat that is hamal or however you express that. There are several places in a nearby city to buy it. Do you have difficulty adjusting to some of those types of things?

Debbie (and Hamid)

[slbois 0]

My sisters in law in Morocco are very westernized. I do cover here in the United States and when I'm over there they try and talk me out of covering. They tell me that they want to be able to look at my beautiful hair and that Islam is in the heart, it stays with me whether I cover my hair or not. It always makes me feel so awkward.

[mybackpages 0]

When we were in Essouria (sorry about the spelling) for their reggae music festival, there were all types of folks there. However, the police seem to always be after us. At the airport, if he hugs me, there they are. Then at the music festival, we decided to leave the crowd and go sit at a cafe. I started walking away fast, and Hamid put his hand on my shoulder. The police were there in like 3 seconds asking what he was doing. Not used to that. I told him I guess people will always be looking at us--age, color, cultural differences. We'd better get used to it.

In Morocco there are a lot of faux guides and the law now can put these guides in prison for socializing with western tourists. The police will pretty much leave you alone unless you are in the tourist areas. The last time we traveling in orocco together, Idir had a certificate to allow him to accompany me around the country. No one ever asked for it- maybe because we had the tourist car not just a rental. I know he caused him a lot of worries.

[sereia 0]

my fiance seemed to be concerned about that too, mbp. especially in el jadida. he says that there are a lot of prostitutes there and the police could easily stop us and assume i am a prostitute instead of his fiance and give us a lot of trouble. he wasn't as concerned as his sister's fiance was...but it seemed like it was somewhat of a big deal between them.

as far as covering up, my fiance never asked me to do such a thing. he knows its up to me. he's given me caftans and djellabas as gifts, but didn't do it out of "please wear this everywhere we go". he knows i dress with my self covered up to my neck on my own free will anyway. i find it amazing that tourists come to MENA and wear hot pants and tank tops! whatever happened to "when in rome, do as the romans do."? at least to SOME extent!

[deemabrouk 0]

I am carring this over from the Tuesday thread.. I'm just curious how people Do.. when they go to a Muslim country and start to cover.. I have seen people say this before... that when they visit their SO.. they cover in that country they cover as to not stick out...

are you seriously gonna have to wear abaya's / hijab out there??? your not even muslim. Is it really a requirement? (why does the spelling of that word not look right....)

Ive seen pictures with non covered woman in Saudi

I think unless you are living on a western compound, the abaya is really "necessary."

well.. I have gotten used to being fully covered and dealing with the heat.. and I do mean.. clothes.. abaya.. arm covers.. underscarf and hijab.. all 100 layers ...

BUT i would think it would be SOOO hard to be a non muslim.. who Never covered.. to then move to saudi.. where in July its 120+ degrees.. where you then have to cover..

Maybe I'll make this a new thread... Since it's not Tuesday anymore

I have gone to Morocco twice, am Christian, and did not cover my head. Hamid is perfectly ok with this. The funny things was, his parents had a beautiful djalaba made for me. Hamid and I took pics, but he ran in and put on American style clothes and there I was in the Djalaba. He is fine with what I wear, other than really short skirts, which I am too old to wear anyway.

We blended in with the crowds in Marrakech where he works. I was sorta shocked at all the boobs and stomachs hanging out of the women's/tourists' clothes there--not much respect. But in Casa in March (I think I was the only white woman there) and in Youssoufia, I get all kinds of stares from the men. Who knows, cuz I'm white, old, or whatever--lol. I wear shorts that come to my knees, no sleeveless anyway (dont wanna expose those ham hocks).

When we were in Essouria (sorry about the spelling) for their reggae music festival, there were all types of folks there. However, the police seem to always be after us. At the airport, if he hugs me, there they are. Then at the music festival, we decided to leave the crowd and go sit at a cafe. I started walking away fast, and Hamid put his hand on my shoulder. The police were there in like 3 seconds asking what he was doing. Not used to that. I told him I guess people will always be looking at us--age, color, cultural differences. We'd better get used to it.

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS--Hamid wants meat that is hamal or however you express that. There are several places in a nearby city to buy it. Do you have difficulty adjusting to some of those types of things?

Debbie (and Hamid)

halal meat.. where are you from.. try googling halal stores in your area

[deemabrouk 0]

i find it amazing that tourists come to MENA and wear hot pants and tank tops! whatever happened to "when in rome, do as the romans do."? at least to SOME extent!

I remember one time in the american embassy i saw some tourists.. this woman was .....hmmm... well had her boobs all hanging out.. and her cottage cheese thighs squished out her shorts.. I'll i kept thinking was.. do Egyptians look at her and think she is a stereo typical American?

[sara535 15]

Debbie, we eat only halal meat in our house and its no big deal at all, in fact the meat tends to be fresher and cheaper. We live in a small town so we go to the nearest city to buy meat, usually spend at least 100 to 200 bucks at a time and stock up. That market only has the basics though, so last time I was visiting my family in Dallas at christmas we went to the big giant halal butcher there and got all kinds of meats and cuts we couldnt find locally, I froze them solid and then packed it all in a box and checked it on the plane, it was still frozen when we got back here to CA

A good place to find local halal grocers and restauraunts is www.zabihah.com, although they dont list every market in any given town. but its a good starting point. Also I have heard there are places to order halal meat online if you cant find anything local but I've not had to resort to that yet.

but in any case, the short answer to your question is that at least when it comes to halal vs. non-halal meat there really isnt any adjustments per se, its still just meat. you just might have a little more effort to get it .....

[Nasturtium 500]

I've done the whole covering thing and I'm not Muslim. I chose to do it for 3 reasons-- 1. Christians and Muslims both cover in my husband's area... and both uncover as well.. but the swing is to the conservative side so I chose that. 2. I got tired of people looking at my long, blonde hair and/or trying to touch it. 3. His family is conservative and I stuck with that. He's never asked me to do it or not do it. I just did it on my own. One day I just showed up covered.

In the summers I was there excavating so I spent all day outside in the sun and whatnot anyway.. so I had built up a heat tolerance. I imagine I'd want to die if I just started covering and didn't have it. OTPH I do cover everything except my hair/neck here in teh US anyway, so I'm not totally unused to it and under an abaya I like to wear tank tops, making them cooler than regular clothing actually. So that probably also plays a factor.

[rclouse 0]

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS--Hamid wants meat that is hamal or however you express that. There are several places in a nearby city to buy it. Do you have difficulty adjusting to some of those types of things?

Debbie (and Hamid)

Here in SoCal we live near "Little Arabia" so my wifehas no problem finding halal meat.

I keep asking her to find halal bacon... so far no luck.

[sara535 15]

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS--Hamid wants meat that is hamal or however you express that. There are several places in a nearby city to buy it. Do you have difficulty adjusting to some of those types of things?

Debbie (and Hamid)

Here in SoCal we live near "Little Arabia" so my wifehas no problem finding halal meat.

I keep asking her to find halal bacon... so far no luck.

There is Halal turkey bacon, its really good. its called 'breakfast strips', tastes surprisingly authentic just not as fatty and therefore sometimes not as crispy.....

(I've seen it in beef and in turkey, the beef is not nearly as good, just FYI)

[deemabrouk 0]

AND there is Fak'n Bacon (vegetarian bacon )

[anxious 0]

We have halal beef bacon and beef pepperoni slices that I love to add to pizza. yummmm. Or was that supposed to be a joke? My sisters joke about never being able to find halal vodka.

Although raised Muslim, I have been on both sides of the fence covering and not. He leaves it up

to me.

[Ban Hammer 12,901]

AND there is Fak'n Bacon (vegetarian bacon )

is it from arkansas?

[Sand 5]

whould you clear !! (stick out)

[sereia 0]

BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS--Hamid wants meat that is hamal or however you express that. There are several places in a nearby city to buy it. Do you have difficulty adjusting to some of those types of things?

Debbie (and Hamid)

Here in SoCal we live near "Little Arabia" so my wifehas no problem finding halal meat.

I keep asking her to find halal bacon... so far no luck.

where is this "little arabia"? i've heard there's a big arab area in anaheim or somewhere around there.... is that what you meant? and can you direct me to exactly where the stores/restaurants are?