Veiled Princess

How bout we call them "pilgrims"?

I personally don't care for RS but then again I've never used it past the free trial. I started with a book called "Read and Speak Arabic For Beginners" by Jane Wightwick that you can order from BAM or Amazon. It's fun and has activities to complete. It's not really standard Arabic though so I have moved on to a free book I found online in PDF format.

http://www.fatwa-online.com/downloads/dow002/index.htm

and here you can access the lessons online for help in pronunciation and to get the answers

http://www.taibauniversity.org/eMaahad/eBo...evel1/index.htm

But this is formal Arabic so I don't know if that's what you are trying to learn or if you're interested in a particular dialect.

Your SO could always help you as well. That's what my fiance and I do. I do the work and email it to him then he corrects it and tries to sneak his dialect in too sometimes LOL. Once I started learning basic greetings and stuff like that we decided that it would be good to use what I've learned so we try to talk (type) as much as possible in Arabic then when I'm stuck we just talk in English the rest of the night Luckily he is fluent in English.

Oh and I watch the Arabic channels on TV too. Mostly Al Jazeera since they speak formal Arabic there but some Egyptian movies too. On Abu Dhabi there is a show that used to come on at midnight before the time change (now it's at 1am so I haven't been watching it) that I am addicted too. Yousuf thinks it's so funny because I really don't understand much of it at all. Like, I didn't even know for sure what it was about at first until he started watching and telling me about it the next day LOL. But it gets me used to hearing it spoken instead of just reading and writing it.

Hope that helps and good luck.

Your argument is quite flawed.

Explaining why requires some math, which is not my favorite subject, but let me break down the numbers for you.

According to Wikipedia, total of 122,293,332 votes were cast in the 2004 election.

Bush won 62,040,610 votes, or 50.7 % of the votes cast. Kerry won 59,028,111votes, or 48.3 % of the votes cast.

According to Wikipedia, 42.45% of the U.S. population voted in the 2004 election. (This number is based upon 2000 census figures.) Note that this is a percentage of the entire population, not of just eligible voters.)

This means that Bush won the vote of just over half of 42.45 % of the U.S. population. If you go ahead and compute the equation (I used a calculator myself) you will find that a mere 21.52 % of the population actually voted for Bush.

And a whopping total of nearly 80 % DIDN'T vote for him.

Find a new argument, as this one has now been torpedoed.

Shhh don't tell everyone! Do you know how bad it looks that only 42.45% of the US population actually bothers to vote???? (excluding those who aren't eligible) But yet America runs all over the world forcing democracy on other countries when we obviously don't even care about it. What a joke!

Public Service Announcement: If all Americans would go out and vote in all our elections perhaps we wouldn't have brain dead morons in public office!

I've just got back from the embassy in Bucharest with the Visa in hand.

So I'm on my way to USA.

This site was great and it helped me a lot and the people here...... just awsome.

THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!

and

SEE YOU ALL ON NEXT TOPIC: ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS

Congratulations and good luck on the next stage of your process!

About f*cking time!

Hope to see many approvals on VJ in the next days!

WOW! YEAH! GREAT! after over 3 weeks they uptaded.. and mooved only 14 days! seems they work like snails.... or all went again off for holidays... its a pitty and a shame.

couldnt beleive it...

I was thinking the same thing! And Vermont is working in March??? You think if I move to that area they would transfer my petition????

Makes me wonder what percentage of ladies the guy talked to actually said NO. We only saw one.

But, for those who signed. Perhaps their right to suffrage should be suspended until they understand the word better? Perhaps that will make for a better, more educated electorate for America?

I was going to say the same thing... if you don't know what it is and you're so willing to sign it away then your right should be terminated. The one guy actually told his GF what she was signing and one moron actually wrote it down even after the guy said it was "voting" because she didn't know how to even spell suffrage

FYI.... "sufferage" is not even a word that I know of.... is that in the dictionary??? So not only is there a problem here with history education but also with English!

No wonder we get such "winners" in public office!!!

About the K-1/K-3 debate... it IS possible and legal to come to the US on a K-1 if you're already married on the condition that you have a petition for a K-3 on file.... they let you use the K-1 to bring your family member here to wait for the K-3 to be approved.

Come again?

got that info from an atty when i was planning on getting married out of the country and know of someone doing it.

If you experience the checkpoints, you will soon realize that their purpose is not to ensure security for Israel (as anyone who really wants to circumvent these checkpoints obviously can,) but rather to disrupt normal traffic on the main roads as much as possible, simply to harrass the Palestinian population in their daily lives.

This is horrible. Where is this movie you're talking about? There is a TV station on satellite called LINK TV and this sounds like something they would show. I would love to see it but I'm not sure I could stomach it.

We are flying through JFK with hopes to get the temp ead. My fiance already has a ss# because he has already worked in the us. My moms job has offerend him a temp job as a courier (sp?) which he will only make $9/hour...but hey its better than nothing They know the first permit will be for 90 days and they are cool with it. They are trying to help us out..

Well when we ever actually get his visa we'll have to make sure he comes in through JFK. He's been sending money to me to here until he gets here so if he can't work for 3 to 6 months it might be a bit of a strain on us. I'm a substitute teacher for Elementary and Middle schools so I don't make a whole lot on my own so he has to work soon after he gets here!!! LOL I think it would just be easier for me to go there and that was actually the plan for a while but my ex won't let me take my kids!

For whoever it was that quoted the Koran: Not all of us here are Muslim. Many of us are either other religions or non-religious. Please do not impose your religious opinion on us since we really don't care what the Koran says, for me, any more than I care what the Bible says. Think about how you'd feel if someone came in here quoting the Bible. Middle East does not necessarily mean Muslim.

As for slandering someone - nobody did that. I saw no names, just someone asking for advice on how to handle a delicate situation.

I assumed since the person who first posted started with "salaamu alaikum" (an Islamic greeting) they were muslim and since that was one of the ppl to whom I was replying that's why I quoted from the Quran. If you read all the posts you would have seen two ppl (this person and another who just joined) calling another person a terrorist.

I am not offended by the bible so I wouldn't care if anyone quoted from it. I do myself on occassion

This does spark my curiosity though.... If this question is not offensive to anyone (because I don't mean it to be I'm just curious) how many women here are marrying or are married to muslim men but are not yourself muslim?

This is the recipe I found on a website that I have been making for a while now.

Shukran! Shukran! Shukran! I'll try it soon inshallah. My husband made me some kind of bread/dough for breakfast in Egypt and in the middle was that date syrup and I crave it soooooo much since I got back home. Of course all we had to do there was pick up a can from any local market. LOL

P.S. I'm assuming since your fiance is Egyptian that he's also muslim (could be wrong) but if he is you should be selective in the vanilla extract you use since the most common kind in our grocery stores have alcohol and may not be halaal for him I personally use a vanilla flavoring (not extract) that I found at the grocery store that I checked all the ingredients against a website and found nothing haraam in. Sometimes it's hard to tell since they don't just call it what it is here in the states.

I just saw some today in our local Middle Eastern market. Maybe if there is a local market you could ask if they can get it.

I live in a small town but I think there's a ME grocery in the next town. I know there's an Indian/Paki store there but I wasn't sure if they'd sell the same kinds of foods so I never been there. Maybe I'll look it up and see if there's one there. There's a company in the UK that sells it fairly cheap but it's outrageous to have it shipped here. Thanks!

I wasn't refering to your post, but to the one I quoted that did specifically say "If you have doubts about your relationship, then get out."

I don't know if we're specifically gossiping about people, but rather providing warning. And, warning someone, or narrating their bad qualities isn't necessarily unislamic. (I'm citing hanafi opinions since those are the most readily available online from the 4 madhabs).

I've heard a ton of horror stories about a sister getting married to a brother, everything all checked out with the wali and all. But then, the brother turns out to be a horrible abuser and everyone in the community knew that he beat his ex wife. Why wouldn't they warn the sister if they knew there was something that would harm her?

Slandering (spreading lies) is never allowed and warning should not be done in public places. Also if the point is to warn someone then it should be done for the sake of Allah and not out of revenge because someone doesn't like another person and other childish reasons. And calling someone a terrorist because he may or may not have done something you like OR because he's from a certain country that you don't like is NOT appropriate. It is immature if not immoral and even dangerous (to the person accused) in this time with all the very real terrorism sweeping the globe. And having another person join VJ just to backbite/slander some more is also uncalled for. If you'll notice I did not respond to the original post where it appeared that she was asking for advice... I did not respond until after she went on to start name calling and then had an anonymous person join the forum for the sole purpose of assisting in the slander.

Anyone know where I can order date syrup/sauce online without paying like $50 for shippin??? OR anyone got a good recipe for it?

Not sure if this is posted in the correct section or not but since I associate dates with the ME/NA I figured I'd put it here.

Ok, I realize I am WAY ahead of myself here as we have not even gotten approval on our petition yet but I have heard something about a temporary work permit that the fiance can obtain at the entry point when they first come on the K-1 visa... is this true???? Is there some special form that needs to be filed before they arrive or would he just ask for it when he checks in upon arrival at the airport in the states? That would allow him to legally obtain a job as soon as he is here instead of waiting to get the greencard after our marriage certificate is sent in? Is it just a game of chance as to whether it would be issued or not? Anyone who has gotten this permission to work at the entry port please give details about the process or if you just know how it works that would be wonderful and appreciated greatly as well.

Thanks

I think she was asking what "Subhan Allah" meant

At any rate, the newbies to VJ have been warned. I am sure as with any relationship they don't want to believe that the one they love would ever do such a thing, but it happens. Let's get back to posting the good things about our men now. If you have doubts about your relationship, then get out. I am sorry some have had some bad experiences, but please let the rest of us keep these happy feelings.

I strongly disagree. Many of those who have had bad experiences are long time VJ-ers. What right would we have to kick them out or make them feel unwelcome? Their voices are an integral and necessary part of the VJ experience. The immigration process and marriage are not all a garden of roses and hearing the negative can help to keep us real, so to speak. I sure as heck want to be able to come to my friends here when I've had a negative experience and either ask advice or share what has happened.

Since you haven't filled in your timeline, I'm not sure where you are in the immigration process. Maybe you haven't experienced anything negative yet. And maybe you will be that rare one in a billion case who never experiences any problems in immigration or in marriage. If so, then subhanAllah, good for you. But, for the rest of us, we need to be free to ###### and moan, complain and warn when we see fit. It's always advisable to do so in a pleasent manner, but heck, this is a message board and negativity is almost a given.

Why should we turn someone away in their time of need? I don't see anywhere in the VJ rules or introduction that says only happy people are allowed to post here. Every immigration based community will that a certain number of people who have been burned by the process. If you don't want to hear it, ignore them, but don't you dare presume that you can decide who can and cannot post on this board. If you want a place where you only hear positive things, then by all means start a thread and set out the rules for who can and cannot post in it. But this thread is a general thread, and there will be positive and negatives discussed on it.

I don't think I said anyone should get out or stop posting... all I am saying is to stop gossipping about others here in public and throwing this word "terrorist" around and grow up for the sake of Allah.

I am bowing out of the forum for awhile. I'm finding what I'm reading here to be toying with my already stormy emotions and its not becoming a positive influence. I need to go sort myself out. Wishing you all best of luck and answered dreams.

Sister, I'm sorry you're having such a stormy time. If you ever need someone just to talk to you can PM me anytime.

Was it a Kirby (300 sounds about right for a new one), Filter Queen (that one actually can set you back $1,500+) or Rainbow (filters through water, similar price to the Queen)?

Filter Queen.... wow! I didn't think anyone actually knew what those were... My dad sold those things for as long as I can remember. Well, first he started with the Rainbow and then they switched over to Fitler Queen. I can remember being forbidden in our house from referring to it as a vaccum cleaner... it was a "clean air filtration system"

I got it in no time and had two kids yelling "Are you sure??? Can I try????"

I clapped too All three of us did

Yes it was very easy.

what's that mean?????????

Which part? The verses I quoted from al-Quran and the two hadiths mean if you have something to say to or about someone then do so in private and do not backbite or slander them in a public forum... Subhanallah means Glory be to Allah.

3. He bought a ticket because their relationship wasn't working out. He was sending her back.

Do you need a receipt for such a return???

wow..still beating this horse...

This was great!!!!

About the K-1/K-3 debate... it IS possible and legal to come to the US on a K-1 if you're already married on the condition that you have a petition for a K-3 on file.... they let you use the K-1 to bring your family member here to wait for the K-3 to be approved.

I started this K-1 process almost 14 months ago and I am completely at my wits end now. Although I do love it here in Egypt, I want to go home. I'm tired of being stared at when I walk down the street and I'm tired of the cat calls. There are even a few places here that's convinced I am Danish and won't let me in!

I'm sorry you're having such a bad time there. When I was in Cairo with my husband I didn't have that problem... being Native American and fully covered except my face and hands in public I just sort of blended in until someone started talking to me in Arabic (which happened all day every day every place we went LOL). Then when my husband would turn around and start translating in English they would look at me weird. He would explain I was American and my Arabic wasn't great (and I don't get the Egyptian slang) and they would just be like "Oh Mashallah!". One lady started yelling in Arabic to my husband and he busted a gut laughing.. he told me she said... "what??? they don't wear hijab and abaya in America! You're lying!!" Mashallah she was so cute! Once we convinced her that I really was American and really was muslimah and really did dress like this at home she kept talking to me like a radio she told me how much she loved me and how happy she was to meet me etc etc etc. Actually everyone I met was always really nice except one man at the pyramids who seemed to think that all Americans were lazy and IF I walked out to the pyramids I would be whining on the way back down LOL he got right in my face and started talking to me from a very close proximity until my husband almost hit him LOL. My over protective habibi . The only thing I absolutely hated about Egypt and made me want to leave so badly was the air there. What's up with that???? I could barely breathe. I almost started wearing a veil because it affected not only my breathing but the skin on my face as well!!! Other than that I had a lovely time and met the most wonderful people and would go back anytime... maybe to a different city though.. maybe the air is better elsewhere?

Anyway, good luck and inshallah you'll be outta there soon

They would if they lived in Taza. I think the prayer gong went off about 4 AM every morning I was there. All I know was that it usually went off when we were falling asleep after whispering and giggling all night.

Prayer "gong"?

thanks all, i read always your messages but i dont know how can i write a message and all they can see it, sorry my english is not good because i am just trying to learn, my husband is an american citizen and i am waiting for my interview , buy the way you are very nice ,

Welcome Roula. What's your native language? Arabic I assume? Don't worry, most of us will either understand you or have a dictionary and/or translator handy

Salamu alaikum

I want to ask the opinion from you all :

It has come to my attention that we have 2 new members, a husband and a wife(Islamically)Process is actually K1. In the past i knew this husband and he did some things that are just plain evil to myself and others. I am sure that his new wife knows nothing about his past doings. She is from USA and I believe that he is only trying to get here (USA) no matter what.

My question is: Should we make her aware of her husbands ways and let her decide?

or

Keep my mouth shut??

If you need more info to better help me just let me know. Thanks Alot .

I am backing up MJ 100% on this matter. I will say I know this person was talking to MANY women online while having a so called fiance in the states. When she came to her senses evil things were done to her and others then he made a comment that he was "already talking to someone in Canada he would visit." I know all this has happen in less than one year. Now he has "another fiance?" Just a big red flag to me. Many comments made to this person were comments one would think a terrorist would make. Really, it still scares me. In most cases I would keep my mouth shut, but I really think "###################" should know what her beloved fiance is doing.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ

O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth,

lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have

done.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الأمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الإيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي

قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ

And know that among you is Allah's Messenger: were he, in many matters, to follow your

(wishes), ye would certainly fall into misfortune: But Allah has endeared the Faith to you

, and has made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you Unbelief,

wickedness, and rebellion: such indeed are those who walk in righteousness;-

فَضْلا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

A Grace and Favour from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الأخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى

تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: but

if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight ye (all) against

the one that transgresses until it complies with the command of Allah; but if it complies,

then make peace between them with justice, and be fair: for Allah loves those who are fair

(and just).

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your

two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا يَسْخَرْ قَومٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَلا نِسَاءٌ مِنْ نِسَاءٍ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُنَّ

خَيْرًا مِنْهُنَّ وَلا تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَلا تَنَابَزُوا بِالألْقَابِ بِئْسَ الاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الإيمَانِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ

الظَّالِمُونَ

O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter)

are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the

(latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call

each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be

used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ

أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ

O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a

sin: And spy not on each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh

of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it...But fear Allah: For Allah is Oft-Returning,

Most Merciful.

Also translated as "Believers, stay away from conjecture; acting upon some conjecture may

lead to sin. Do not spy on one another or backbite. Would any of you like to eat the

disgusting dead flesh of (your brother)? Have fear of Allah; Allah accepts repentance and

is All-merciful)"49:12

al-Quran 49:6-12

Book 032, Hadith Number 6265.Chapter : The prohibition of backbiting: Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (sal allahu alayhi wa salaam) as saying; Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander.

Related by Muslim (8/18) and Ahmad (2/303) from Aboo Hurayrah:The Prophet (sal allahu alayhi wa salaam) said: Do you know who the muflis (bankrupt one) is? The muflis from my Ummah is one who comes on the Day of Judgement having performed Prayer, fasting, and giving zakaat (charity). However, along with all of this, he had abused this person, and slandered that person, eaten the wealth of this person, and unlawfully spilled the blood of that person. These people will take from his good deeds. If, however, his good deeds become exhausted, then their sins will be put upon him and he will be thrown into the Fire.

I think my political science professor that is retired from the World Bank put it best: I wonder how supportive the US would have been of giving Israel back their country if they had been from somewhere in this country, like maybe Florida. Would we have been so eager to give them any of our real estate? This statement is especially meaningful to me because he is Jewish himself.

I am not going to get into the anti-zionist/anti-semetic portion of this thread BUT I had to comment on this one!!!! Being Native American (Cherokee) myself, I don't think we even have to ponder the possiblity of this! No one in America cares one tiny bit that the very land we live on today BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE!!! No one cares that this govt that we all love so much was built on the MURDERS of my ancestors! There is no talk of FORCING THE EUROPEANS BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY or giving ownership of this land back the the Native Americans because of the injustice done to us in the past. My people get some tiny lot of land as compensation for having our land ripped from our hands, our men killed and our women raped and forced into slavery just so the greedy Europeans could find their "freedom" here! The US support of Isreal is a joke, at the very least, and nothing more than a show of pure hypocracy. No one expects anything more than this from christians anyway so it's really not even worth discussing. When Americans STOP celebrating the defeat of the Native Americans on "Thanks Giving" (another huge joke) then maybe something can be said. And for anyone who intends to reply that if I don't like the policies here that I am free to leave, I reply in advance with "I have true birthright to this land!"

So to answer the question posed.. NO WAY would America give the land back to the original owners as we all can see clearly by the unfair treatment of the native inhabitants of this land.

Sorry if I have offened anyone but this subject is a bit touchy for me.

OK, I'm done venting