Meriem_DZ

This is the link for the OP article:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/allahu-akbar-shock-video-shows-muslims-allegedly-stoning-christian-protesters-in-michigan/
However, despite the headline, there doesn't seem to be any "stoning" involved. Also, the article doesn't really describe the details of what set this off - you have to click the "related" link to learn:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/screaming-anti-islam-protesters-taunt-muslims-with-pigs-head-youre-going-to-melt-in-the-fires-of-hell/
(Videos are embedded at the link)
I really, really doubt any of you would be all up in arms if members of the Westboro Baptist Church got pelted with soda cans and water bottles at one of their hate-fests.
Some people keep forgetting they're not at the Kach meeting in Yitzhar

all is permissible.
you can wear anything you want.
if you would like to feel comfortable, find a local mosque, talk with the imam, then ask about local gatherings and meetings. Some communities have banded together, and live in the same area so the social more` of 'not fitting in' is OK.
If you follow Sharia Law, get to the Iman, ask for a local interpretation so you won't feel undressed.

Inappropriate posts have been removed.
Topic has also been moved from P&R to 'Moving Here and Your New Life in America" as a more appropriate location for this topic.

Kabsa is delicious! When I make it I don't remove the chicken, I just add he rice and cook it in the oven. It steams very nicely in the oven. I usually use Uncle Ben's rice because its pretty much fool proof in this recipe plus you won't have to soak it like basmati. For the spice mix I use curry powder,tumeric, cinnamon, cumin, all spice, cardamon and coriander. No cloves as I find it a bit strong. I don't add carrots but imagine it would taste good. I mix the yellow raisins in with the rice instead of putting on top.

Opening a thread is beside the point, since you posted it here anyway.
I don't think what you posted was discriminatory, but I don't see what it has to do with the original topic unless you're trying to turn this thread into a religious ####### for tat. There are plenty of examples of atrocities attributable to any religion. It's a futile path to go down really.

Romance building?
Wait, what?
Those skanks spent $50,000 on prostitutes - while their children and grandchildren for the love of God looked on.
I fail to see the romance.

I am not exactly sure what you are looking for as far as what is called a success story. I was initially married for 15 years. If years are what make it successful, then it was a success. But I wanted a divorce within the first year, I just never knew or had the guts to get out until I finally decided to just let the chips fall where they may. BTW he was not an Arab.
I am coming up on my 8th wedding anniversary in October to a man that is significantly younger than me. He has been in the US for over 5 years, and we are done with the process. We are both very happy in our "Gross and abnormal" marriage. So perhaps that would qualify as a success story.
When we started talking I was suspicious from day one. Played with him mostly just because I didn't think he was sincere and thought he was looking for a visa. Sweet words do not rock my world and blind me. I much prefer to sit back, give them plenty of rope, and get a good chuckle when they hang themselves. Rather than run with the rope I gave him he stayed close to me, preferring to spend time online with me than off with his buddies. It kind of threw me. After quite a while of "testing" him I realized that his intentions were indeed good and gave him a chance. Bottom line is I went in with my eyes open. I have to agree with many women here that say that it is a hard road with a May-December romance. Not impossible, but you both have to be mature enough to know the downfalls and be ready to live with those choice to marriage despite the difficulties that we must face with the age difference.

Why do you feel the need to slam everyone? Seriously? Just because you are miserable does it mean the rest of us need to be? I am tired of reading the way you cut everyone down. If you don't like the fact that most of us are happy, I suggest you stop reading the comments here. I don't feel bad for you. The reason you're so miserable is because of your own bad decisions. We are not naive bubble heads like you seem to think we are. I just came back a few hours ago from spending time with my husband and his family in Jordan, and each time I am with him it just reinforces our love for each other and that our decision to marry each other was 100% the best thing for us. Now feel free to rip my comment apart, I don't care what you think , no matter what anyone says you will find an excuse to be miserable.

Same #######, different day.....There are so many judgmental people on this site, just looking for someone to ridicule or insult. How can you jump to the conclusion that someone is committing fraud when you don't even know their situation? Yes, he's written some confusing posts, with different questions. Maybe that's because he's planning to come to the U.S., change his life and he has lots of questions, and no one else to ask. So he comes to a forum in place to help people, and instead gets this......
It's obvious his English isn't good, but it looks like he's asking and answering the best that he can. Anyone can see that he's confused about the relationship status differences, because probably where he lives they don't "date" and have girlfriends. They signed a written paper for marriage (not a legal marriage) so they could have intimate relations. Because in some parts of the world, they don't have sex unless they are married. If you skim through his posts, it's not that hard to figure that out. They're not "really" married, in the eyes of the law, so they are very much able to be filing for the K-1.
It's not my job or anyone elses job here to decide if he's committing fraud or not. Maybe he just has a very good life where he is and he wants to do all the research he can and get as much information as he can before he makes a complete change in his life, leaves everything he has and knows, and comes to live here. Isn't that what everyone tells the USC to do? To research? Why is it any different for the person that's planning to leave their home and everything they know?

One member has been thread-banned and two more inappropriate comments have been removed.
In response to the other comments, we have an individual who is not very fluent in English, knows virtually nothing about the immigration programme and equally little about how internet forums work, especially Visa Journey, and is trying to wade through cultural differences.
His scenario, from what I can see, is he is involved with an American woman. They met recently in person. They had a 'religious' ceremony that was not official, nor was it registered in any way, in some sort of a church (not Muslim) as a means to obtain 'permission' for having a sexual relationship - something that is not part of many cultures until after marriage. This marriage is not a legal marriage, rather one that makes them feel that there is enough legitimacy to their relationship that it can be pursued. The OP himself is confused about what this means - does this make his girlfriend his wife, or his she is fiancee because they plan on having a legal marriage to make them husband and wife?
Yes, the OP would like to come to the US, but he has asked his American partner to move to his country as well, where he is well off and knows where 'what is what'. She doesn't want to, so she is sponsoring him on a fiancee visa. When and where she applied is unclear and we have no timeline.
Perhaps the OP isn't what he claims to be - but we do not have the right to go after another member, especially one who is not conversant in our language, our customs, our culture and our processes - because he is not conversant in our language our customs, our culture and our processes. If you doubt his posts,then don't respond. Do not treat the immigration forums like an Off Topic free for all. This violates both the intention and the spirit of Visa Journey.. If you have to 'give the benefit of the doubt' in order to respond, then do so. It costs you nothing to be helpful to another, and if he turns out to be someone other than what he claims, it has still cost you nothing to respond with respect and courtesy.
Imagine that you are a stranger in a strange land trying to find out information that you believe you need. You may not know what questions to ask, so you ask a lot of different questions. You may make mistakes or have misunderstadings about certain situations, so you seek clarification. You may use the wrong words in this language with which you are not very familiar. Would you appreciate someone responding to your inquiries the way so many of you have just responded here? Would you wanted to be treated this way? You act this like a game because you have your expectations of what a legitimate poster is like and the OP doesn't fit your mold. Because he doesn't match what you believe he should be, you have decided that there is something flawed or false about his situation without trying to make allowances for the language, and culture, and technological differences and limitations.
Yes, it would help to have those fact and details, but you don't. Because you don't, you do not have enough information to negate the very real influences of language, culture and technological sophistication.
So, my warning is repeated. If you cannot respond with courtesy and politeness, answering the questions or asking for clarification without resorting to the pack mentality of 'ganging up' on someone who is different than you, then don't post in his threads.

Yes, I'm a total hypocrite because I don't think people who have gender identity issues need help but people who are attracted to children do. You win.
Also, the definition of pedophile IS the attraction.

No. And I fail to see how you're comparing a child who thinks they're a different gender to a pedophile. One thing is very harmful, abusive and dangerous. The other is someone wanting to do something that will harm no other people, have no negative impact on someone else's life, and is ultimately their decision and choice.
Whose line?
So basically we've compared gender identity issues to pedophilia and bank robbery. Anything else?

You're simplifying a pretty complex mental issue. "Mental help" isn't the solution for everything that you disagree with or do not understand. Sometimes these people have genuine concerns and thoughts and are completely sane.
Suspend disbelief for one moment and imagine that since you were a child, you've felt different. Someone tells you you're one thing but you genuinely feel and believe you're something else and no amount of someone telling you otherwise changes your mind. Imagine how lonely and isolating that must be, to have everyone tell you that how you feel or think is wrong. You don't WANT to feel this way, because life would definitely be easier if you didn't, but you can't help yourself.
There's nothing 'insane' about it. If someone feels they want to be the opposite sex, who are we to tell them that's weird or wrong or they need help? It's their life. You don't have to agree with it, but it's still theirs to do with it what they want/need/feel is right.

How does two legal, consenting adults getting married impact your life in any way? I'm curious.
People waste so, so much time hating people for absolutely no good reason. It boggles my mind. Focus that energy somewhere else. Stop worrying so much about how other people live their lives and who they live those lives with.
I also didn't realize procreation was the point of marriage. Learn something new every day.

The dog can't give consent, where an adult human can. I hate when people think that allowing gay marriage will open the door to allow inanimate objects and animals to marry. An animal or an inanimate object can not say I DO or sign papers making it a legal union.
Marriage and the ability to pro-create have nothing to do with each other. I know many people who get married and don't want children. Does that mean they shouldn't be married?

Genitalia does not equal gender to me. Physically, yes. Mentally, I fully believe that there are people who believe they were born in the wrong body. They don't feel like someone of their gender "should". And if that happened to my child, I wouldn't force their gender on them through clothing or toy choices at such a young age.
I went to school with a boy who, for as long as he could remember, identified as a female. Just the way his brain worked. It started when he was old enough to talk. He knew he had boy parts, knew he was born a boy, knew his birth certificate claimed he was a boy. But he didn't feel like one. He didn't like the things that boys were supposed to like. He didn't care about cars or girls or any of that stereotypical stuff. He told his parents for years and years how he felt and they ignored him. They forced him to wear clothes he didn't like, wouldn't let him grow his hair out a bit, wouldn't allow him any "girlish" hobbies. They were convinced it was a phase or that there was something 'wrong' with him and let it go ignored, laughing him off and waiting for it to pass. It didn't. He was miserable with every aspect of his life simply because his brain told him something different than his body parts did. He killed himself in the last year of high school, leaving a note about how he just wanted to be accepted and loved for who he was and nobody allowed him that.
I refuse to let one of my children grow up that way. I am determined to accept them however they are, however they want to be, whoever they fall in love with, whatever they choose to do with their life (within reason that's not hazardous to themselves or others, of course) ... children aren't stupid. They don't pretend to be who they're not. They're honest and say what they think and feel without worrying about being judged.

I understand that, but you're trying to make it seem as if me letting my child dress how they want, play with what toys they want, wear their hair as short as they want ... that I'd let them have complete control over their lives and not have to follow any routine or structure and that's not true in the least.
Sometimes it's a phase in young children, sometimes it's not. All I said was that I'd let my child be who they wanted to be, and if it ends up not being a phase, we'd deal with it accordingly. I certainly wouldn't force her to dress like a girl or act the way girls are "supposed to". Nor would I act like there was something "wrong" with her. That's just me. You raise your children the way you believe is right, I'll do the same with mine.

I don't think a child should be able to do what they want, and I never said that nor did I mean to imply it. But if my daughter wants to play with toy cars instead of Barbies, wear pants instead of dresses, have short hair instead of long hair ... then so be it. She's an individual and she can be whoever she wants to be, in my opinion.

Good for Kathryn's parents who are letting their child grow and be who they want to be without making them feel like an outcast, or different, or weird. The last thing I'd ever want to do as a parent would be to force my child to live a life they were uncomfortable with.

Well... I can't personally speak for Moroccans or Algerians, but I'm sure there are all sorts of variables in different individuals' demeanor.
And just for the record... my husband did not really start the love talk until we'd known each other for a while - it was more than a year. And even then, he was very respectful, and never ever tried to have sexy times before we were married. But he's definitely not a cold one; he just has self-control and a certain code of behavior.

Well as P.T. Barnum (allegedly) said, there's a sucker born every minute.
This translation is very misleading. This is not an "auction;" it is a fundraiser supporting rebels in Syria against the Assad regime. The father, who speaks in very brief remarks (and who seems to have a Syrian accent rather than a Saudi accent,) says that his son was (past tense) a "martyr" - this means he is talking about a son who was already killed. There is no mention of him offering another son to be a "suicide bomber."
The emcee is asking people to sacrifice their money like others who have been killed by the Syrian government have sacrificed their lives.
Yet another hoax propaganda video.

What your'e failing to understand?????
Your postings come off with many offending personal jabs and it is not acceptable to me. Where you might have good strong opinions it gets ugly by an indignant way you write.
no matter how much you try to spin your wheels on this...
asinine victim blaming
if you knew or understood the first thing about this problem and how this go down in MENA region
comments like yours plant the seed
My comment was intended to convey how I like choice of dressing modest and I personally seen it first hand how one young ladies choice made a stir.
There is clearly an anger issue with you, your manners of posting might have a good idea but it is injected with venom and becomes unappealing to read and hard not to be offended.
It is not worth replying to explain things further.

Good for your strong opinions but it remains clear you did not understand my post
Where did you get the assumption I was making a point about men NOT being wrong in not diverting their gaze and this is ALL her fault? And in answering your question...What actually "Never Occurred to Me" was that a simple posting of what I observed could elicit such a harsh reaction from a stranger on VJ. With cursing too.
The observation was young and old, male and female and children all were influenced by the way this young woman chose to dress so skimpy and I shared this because I had seen this first hand in a country where the majority leans towards more modestly dressed women. That is all.
I refuse to accept that I was a part of what you call "asinine victim blaming of sexual victims,"...The tone of both your posts are as if there is a heated debate with another. Or you have need to fight with someone??? I dont know and dont care why. Because,
this person I am not.
But be assured I have no interest in continuing to defend my observation and personal opinion on dressing modestly....So I ask you again, please refrain from judgmentally posting towards me .....as I have attempted to explain 2x now, it was not written this way.
If you need to make your point more power to ya....but your misconstruing my posts.

Are we always posting to attack someone in within the MENA forum? Or we dont have preference of which forum we chose 2 lash out at another in?
There is no victim blaming...hence why I started out my post directly with disagreeing with the assault.
I only saw what I saw when the young lady was causing a public stir and I simply shared it.
And the one thing that could have been misunderstood when re reading my post is....
"If one is putting themselves in this type of setting, the young lady is almost asking for trouble...whatever form that might come in"
It was intended for the gawking and un GOD like thoughts it elicits. NO WAY blaming anyone as a victim.
Do not think any of my thoughts shared warrants your judgmental posting towards me...and request you would not again in the future.

We will be celebrating 6 yrs of marriage in Sept. After Hachemi got here he adapted really well. I survived teaching him to drive. lol. That was a hoot. I thought I was gonna die several times. We did have a horrible wreck when he had his permit but it wasnt his fault. Our car was totaled, but we were ok. Cant say that for the motorcycle that was crushed between us and the dude that hit us. He was hurt pretty bad, but survived. Hachemi is now a great driver and goes anywhere he wants.
He was hired with his first application after getting his green card at a boat manufacturing plant. He worked there one yr before he decided to go back to school. He already had a computer science degree. He went to the community college and got an associate degree in computer networking. He graduated with special honors and had a 3.96 gpa. While he was going to school he would visit the convenience store down the street to get coffee when he was studying late. They asked him if he needed a job. He told them he would work if he could get hours around his classes. He worked there for 3 years.
Toyota was building a huge manufacturing plant about 45 miles from our house. He thought about applying but we had made plans to go visit his family in Algeria November of 2010. We stayed for a month and when we came home he decided to apply and was hired. There were 43,000 applications and they hired 1200. It is a wonderful company to work for and they have the best insurance I have ever had. We put our house up for sale and bought a house in the town closer to his work. Thank God it only took 45 days to sell!
I had already had a hysterectomy when we married. I would most likely been to old to have kids, but I know several women that had kids in their 40's. It just wasnt meant to be. We had discussed this fact prior to marrying. Hachemi has crohn's disease which is well controlled with medication but he always worried about having kids because he didnt want to pass it on. We have kitties as our kids. He loves his kitty cats!
My husband is now a citizen and is very happy living in the US. He misses his family, but not Algeria. He talks to them on Skype every Sunday for a couple of hours. Hachemi is still the sweet loving man I first married. He hasn't changed a bit. He just adores me and I feel so lucky to have him. Hachemi does not cook or clean. He really doesnt know how. Thanks to his mom and sisters who did everything for him. Every once in a while he will run the vacuum. I dont work so it's all up to me and I don't mind. He works so hard at his job, I just don't ask him to help. I also do the yard work because I am afraid he will run over my flowers. I am very particular about my plants and flowers LOl. I didnt even let my son do it because he is so careless. I let my next door neighbor borrow my riding mower last week and when I got home I almost had a heart attack because he mowed my yard in return for letting him use the mower.
If I had any advice for your SO's, It would be that taking any job, even though it is not what they want to do, will build work history. Just be patient and hang in there. It took Hachemi about 5 years to finally get a great paying job with wonderful benefits.
Meriem