Peace....

Congratulations to your and your wife on the 3 bundles of joy - what an amazing blessing ! You are going to have your hands full haha

Wow, wow and wow! How amazing is that , triplets. You are going to be two very busy parents ! Lucky you are blessed with family close by. Good idea to have that money set aside until you have your work authorization. Love it when I hear people want to do things legally!

I didnt meet my wife on internet, but on the side of a country road in Morocco. While driving home, I see a woman with her car broke down. She was traveling alone to see american friends in el jadida. Her rental car broke down. I stopped, asked if she was okay, she said oh my God someone who speaks good English. I dont write well, but I can speak very good.
She said all the sudden car started losing power and just quit. I did my best to start car but it never worked. I asked where she was going and she said el jadida and was upset as she didnt have phone, no way to meet them, no way to get help. I told her, I would not leave her without help. I let her call her friends with no,answer. I asked her to stay in her car while I went to get her car taken back to airport for new car. ,She reply, you not leaving me here in no,where land lol by myself. I be,honest, I never had any woman in my car,beside women of family. I wasnt for sure what to do with her. She asked please let me go with you to airport, so she did. One hour later, new car for her and she,was joyed with tears thanking me. She asked where I lived and on her way back from el jadida she asked if she could say,thanks,by buying me dinner. I told her, we dont buy dinners, but you are welcome to share dinner with my family.
I thought,I would never see or hear from her as she a beautiful professional american girl. Five days later, my phone rang, she said hello, remember me. I met her where her car stopped as she remembered the place. I brought her to my familys home where. she enjoyed tea and dinner.
Before she left, she said please keep in touch through internet if we can. So we did, 12 trips later, three years of moroccan family time, we are now married and im here,in the USA.
thank you,for letting me share our story.

I have a day off today and I think I will surprise my wife with a new project that she love so much in my home in morocco. Last night after a long discussion about kitchen appliances, I have decided to do projects that I actually can do. We decided on the baby's room last night and she said I would love our baby girls to have a Moroccan room with beautiful colors. I cry so much, what is wrong with me? I miss home and family, and when she said this to me, I broke down something horrible, I thought this was suppose to happen to her not me.
My project from now until babys are due is to make a beautiful girls room with hand carved lanterns hanging from a Moroccan hand carve ceiling. As a child I learned this carving technique and me and father did our entire home. My wife fell in love with the ceilings every where she went in morocco. She wanted a lantern but it was too big to bring on plane but I found picture she took and it will be created for her at my father law place while on lunch everyday I will work on it. I will also have a Moroccan couch wrapped around half the room, the easiest of the room make over. I hope she will love it and my soon to be little girls.
I think my wife is right, I need do focus on things I can do, working on farm is great, but I need weekends off now to make her dream room.
Thank u all for nice comments. I stayed in baby's room last night until,4 am looking and measuring. I'm tired but no time for sleep now.
Have nice day.

Hello, I hope this is the right place to start a daily conversation in the MENA forum.
I have some exciting news, my wife surprised me on a trip at Easter. When we arrived at our home where we stayed, I walked into home and everything from flowers, little Easter eggs, everything was pink. I never seen so much pink color since I move to America. I didn't say much but was happy to be on a vacation with my wife. Later in evening, we had dinner, my wife made a pink cake in the number 3 and I just couldn't take it no more and said why so much pink and this number three cake.
She cry a lot, and said we will be blessed with three baby girls and I got lots of tears and almost got sick too. I am a nervous man and want to support my family though she says we wil be just fine.
My question is, while waiting on green card and work card, my father law give me job to manage farm and make sure farm runs good. He say I'm doing such good job and even his sons never did this good. I work from 5 morning to 7 nightly every day to help him, he has bad spine so I've been helping.
My wife said I cant really work yet for money, but he offer me cash weekly 1800 dollars.
Can I work for cash until I get my work card? I would like to save money or my little girls and so my wife don't work long hours while pregnant.
Thank you for any information about working. I don't want to get in trouble.
Hope all feel free to discuss anything on my topic, as I see many get locked.

What Parliament? There hasn't been a Parliament in Egypt for, sheesh, well, since a couple of months after it was elected and the Judges decided it was illegal and shut it down.

He has a big audience. I don't think westerners had to explain the satirical humor to Egyptians. Like in the US, I must say, there are some people that have no sense of humor whatsoever. Unfortunately for him, it's the "democratic government."
In 2001, right after 9/11 happened, every radio station received a "memo" from the White House. Yes, Bush had signed an order with a thick "thesis-like" list of all the songs we should NOT play. So, you can imagine the music we were supposed to play. Rage Against the Machine's entire catalog was banned. Zach and I still laugh about this.
"Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world." Shelley, Percy Bysshe
This applies to journalism, and now, comedy- hence, his comparison with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/68103/Egypt/Politics-/Bassem-Youssef-arrives-at-Egypts-high-court-for-qu.aspx
^ the aforementioned hat. I find this hysterical... If you're going down in flames, might as well crack jokes on the way. Y'know he'll just be a martyr for the cause.

RFQ I have to have British humor explained to me sometimes too and other kinds of humor. Like today there was a joke by the Australian Easter bunny in that new movie Guardians where he picks up a bag of teeth and says "jack pot you're a brumbie." I had to ask what a brumbie was and then I got the joke. That's light hearted humor.
The story about the Egyptian Jon Stewart is reaching Western media more. It was covered in the guardian this morning and they explained it better with what's going on. Link
They even have video of him turning himself in. The "western media article" explains to their "western audience," why this new form of "Egyptian satire" has hit a nerve with the people who are the butt of his jokes. Namely it's the MB who are cracking down. It also goes on to explain the illegal appointees ect.
It's obvious in this case that not all Egyptians are on the same page in regards to Satire. That's why it's mind boggling you disagree with the fact they think he's gone to far even according to their standards and you still don't get it.
I guess I am the "some people" that you're targeting and I often get your tone of sarcasm. I just don't appreciate the persistent and belligerent ignorance towards me that's been going on for the past five years in your posts. For the most part I ignore your continued harassment of me, but lately you're bringing it to a new level of creepy, weird and obsessive. You don't surprise me anymore. This is the bazillionth time you've treated me badly and I can't say you've ever had a kind word towards me. I think we both know this isn't about me as much as it's about your ego.

Sorry, but this is a totally FALSE generalization. I am a practicing Muslim and so is my husband, so I speak from a lifetime of experience around muslim men.
Yes, a muslim man isn't required to only marry a muslim woman, but he is also not required or conditioned to "expect or beleive" that his non-muslim fiance will convert to Islam after marriage. That is not an "opinion", it's a fact. He can still be a strict practicing muslim without his wife being one, too.
I guess the tone of your statement about it really bothers me because it sounds as if your promoting the stereotype of arab males/muslim males being overly domineering, bossy, pushy, etc., by telling his fiance what religion she has to be, or forcing it on her.

Yes, I know you didn't bold it. Foreverwaiting did and then I did again to bring attention to the fact that I was addressing that particular statement you made.
Not that this has anything to do with anything but I'm curious - did you have any experience with Muslims or Arabs prior to meeting your fiance? I don't mean a buddy or two or a co-worker. I mean real experience ie living with an Arab/Muslim, living in an Arab/Muslim country, etc. I'm curious as to where you got your information from regarding Arabs and Muslims particularly Muslims. Also, by experience I don't mean books or online materials. I'm not trying to be inflamatory, I'm just trying to see where all of your seemingly "expert" advice is coming from.

yeah, the issue isn't about bolding, italics, or even fonts!
you came on here and told people in interfaith marriages that basically if their husband hasn't expected or believed that they'll become muslims too, then said muslim husbands don't "truly practice Islam values and traditions".
what you said was totally generalized, (edited to remove inappropriate comment)

The fact that the guy had a sexual affair outside of marriage tells me he's not really all that religious and doesn't completely have religious "values" nor does he follow religious "traditions." That doesn't mean that he won't one day but obviously he's not all that religious now or has been in the past. The notion that all Muslims expect their wives to convert is absurd. Perhaps many would prefer this but they don't ALL expect this nor do they put pressure on their wives to convert.

Everyone has a different story and yours will be unique too. The only sensible thing to do, in my mind, is go visit. Try not to play an entire future scenario out in your head. Go with your eyes open and an open mind and enjoy the visit. Meet his family. By all means, do a bunch of research, understand cultural norms and immigration red flags and where you fall on all of it. Don't be naive, but really, no state department report or person on the internet is going to be able to tell you anything about your relationship that you cannot learn better by living it. There are no huge obstacles to getting a tourist visa. Just apply and be patient with a slow Algerian embassy. It will be good practice for the patience you will need should you ever apply for US immigration for him.
For what it is worth, I am Jewish, my husband Muslim and we have been together happily for a decade.
Edited to say that this is by no means an encouragement to go marry him on your first trip.

Please walk around BabelOued or El harrach and then go to Babezzouar mall. Compare those people. Go to Le Grande Poste and then go to club les pins at the Sheraton or any other public beach near Algiers. Compare those people. Algerians are diverse religiously..even though most may identify as being muslim but not everyone is practicing. If you go out at night with your fiancé(which I don't recommend) you will see crack heads all over public spaces...Le Grande Poste or Rue Larbi Ben Mhidi. You'll find a thriving alcohol shop on the backside of many shopping strips. My husband is religious. HIs family is culturally conservative but not necessarily religious. You're learning what your fiance tells you from what he knows. Algerians are very diverse and don't fit one stereotype. And if you think you know anything from reading dept of state warnings then you're wrong.

I am really grateful for EVERYBODY'S input, here. This is really the only place where I can find other women who have any understanding of what I'm experiencing...even though it's still very new for me. Really, I don't yet know how this Algerian man will be, in regards to his religion. It is something I need to talk to him more about. So far, I know that he has lived in a way that is against Islam, having relations with other women, and some other things that are considered totally normal in the Western world. In fact, that makes me like him even more! But, at the same time, he does say that Allah is something big and very real for him. So, in this case, I think I should hear all sides, and get as much information as possible.
Thanks everybody! You are all really good people!!

I love how people have such strong opinions about Algeria and Algerians yet they've never set foot in the country.

A positive story! Yea!! Did you also meet online? And can I ask you...with the big age difference, plus the difference in religion, how hard was it to make it through the interview?? I should say...HOW did you make it through the interview? How do you convince total strangers that something is genuine, despite how it looks on paper?

Spending time in your boyfriend's home country and getting to know him and his family are all good things. But you just have to be a bit careful these days. Foreigners stick out like sore thumbs and the more of a public presence you have, the more likely someone or some people with bad intentions could try something. When I visit my fiance I dress like local women, speak a little Arabic and we don't travel much. I am really opinionated at home, but in Yemen I keep my trap shut around people other than my fiance and his direct relatives because you never know who you might insult. It's a very different way of life but there is a lot to be appreciated. Expect delicious spicy food! Wishing you the best of luck on your journey.

Well, my husband was questioned over an hour and was asked all the questions at his interview plus newer one to see if his answers matched two months prior to his interview. His POE was New York, and many were questioned not just my husband.
So yes, they can question him.

Well, my husband was questioned over an hour and was asked all the questions at his interview plus newer one to see if his answers matched two months prior to his interview. His POE was New York, and many were questioned not just my husband.
So yes, they can question him.

Her son was born in 2010. Hopefully she can shed some more light soon on her case when she returns here.

Oh boy....you have quite the battle ahead of you. At least you have it written out what the consular is seeing as issues with your case. Address each of those issues with solid facts.
If the stack of proof referred to is chat records, you might want to back off on sending too much more of that...seems too much was a flag in itself. Address why she hasn't returned since 2010, why she wasn't employed for
4 yrs (its a long time). How big is your age difference? Unfortunately you have a mountain of flags to overcome, how aggressive has your wife been in addressing these issues ? It would help if she responded to these
issues and not just yourself.

Your wife having a new job does not seem like a legitimatereason to not help with your case. You should not be doing it all. If there isa will, on her part, there is a way. She CAN help. I, in fact, did most of thework for my husband’s case or we did it together. I wouldn't have trusted himto do it all by himself! When workingwith the consulate they want to see exacts, but not memorization. Morocco is arough consulate. I also had chat logs but I only submitted a few pages fromeach month that we chatted along with a few pictures. Like another poster said,you have a lot of red flags but anything is possible. First and foremost youmust get your wife active in your case. Good luck and contnue to ask questions, there are many indivduals with VJ with outstanding information and experience.

Most people here are desperate to be with their loved ones. She hasn't seen you for two years and is ' too busy' with a new job? Seems crazy to me. I would do anything so that we could be together. You can't tell me she's working 24 hours a day? You seriously need to get her involved otherwise you won't get the case turned around.