I would like to share a very romantic and funny story with you today. Last Friday, I attended a wedding with my family members in Dubai.
It was like a very tiny international community...I felt like sitting in one of the "United Colors of Benetton" shooting studios, but with models wearing gowns and toxidos :)It was amazing and all of the guests were celebrating and enjoying their time in peace and harmony.
The Bride was GERMAN, the Groom was EGYPTIAN, the guests were from all over the world, knowing that each couple were not from the same country!!!
The most amazing married couple were a man from the USA (Afro-American) and his Indonesian beautiful wife. Another were a Jordanian husband and his Phillipina wife, an Indian Lady and her British Husband, and of course my Emirati Father and his wonderful Egyptian wife, my mother.
This wedding was a very tiny example of how people of different nationalities live in the UAE as one big family, despite their languages, skin colors, religion, beliefs, etc.
May God bless the UAE and the whole world.
Amen.
Assalam alaikum
ReplyDeleteMashallah that's wonderful you had this interesting experience and enjoyed the wedding. I've been to a similar wedding party once. It was a segregated wedding. (by the way mixed wedding parties for men and women are popular among many Egyptians, aren't they?)
So I've been to the wedding - Emirati man marrying an Albanian woman. When I looked around the wedding hall I saw many Arab and more non-Arab women. It was amazing to see these European looking women with blond hair dressed like Emirati women, wearing khaleeji make up and hennah, speaking Arabic and feeling totally at ease in Emirati culture mashallah.
I noticed that many young Emiratis of today have non-Emirati mothers. I'm very happy to see children from mixed marriages who love their country, culture and strongly identify themselves as Emiratis- just like you Sara, mashallah :)
Hello Alice,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your comments ^_^ and welcome to my blog.
It is true that many Emiratis have mothers with different nationalities. It is a fact with advantages and disadvantages as any other fact in the world.
I wrote once about this subject in one of the local dailies and I mentioned the good and bad sides of having parents from different nationalities, especially if they have a different religion or come from different countries with TOTALLY different cultures, heritages, languages, etc.
Unfortunately the article I wrote was in Arabic, but I will try translate it for you and I will post it Insha'Allah ^_^
Thanks again Alice and it is really wonderful to read your comments and get to know you.
Assalam alaikum Sarah!
ReplyDeleteJazach Allahu khair for your reply! I'd love to read that other article, would be great if you could kindly translate it!
Sometimes when I think about the difficulties that my children may face in the future (like identity crisis) I start feeling angry at my husband and myself lol would not it be easier if he married a good local girl? :)
Just like many other phenomenons multicultural marriages have both advantages and disadvantages. And people who enter a mixed marriage should be aware of the difficulties it brings.
Assalamu Allaikom Alice,
ReplyDeleteUsually I don't regret what happened in the past because you can not change it. What is done is done. But I try prevent it from happening in the future.
The UAE is home to expatriates from more than 200 countries. As a result, the country has its fair share of mixed couples. And in such relations, cultural misunderstandings occur. And we should ask ourselves, how will the children be brought up? Which religion will they follow?(if spouses have different religions), What language will be spoken at home? will they be accepted by both families and in both societies?, etc.
I wish you a very happy life with your husband and family and I hope we can meet some day ^_^ for I love to know people and make new friends from all over the world.
In which Emirate do you live, if I may ask?
wa aleikum assalam Sarah!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply! Yes, you are right- it's useless to regret about the past- we can't change it anyway. "Naseeb" like Arabs say.
Thank you for the kind words and wishes - it's very sweet of you. I live in Fujairah- it's far from A.D :) But who knows maybe we could meet one day inshallah.
Take care!
Great...I'm South African...well I'm mixed between German and Indonesian...thats my forefathers...and I am married to an Egyptian....and living in Egypt.Its great fun having such a lot of cultural differances...well the Islamic culture stays the same...but little traditions are differant:)
ReplyDeleteNicely share hope fully one day i get another country beloved wife...
ReplyDeletestill find it, Iam Indonesian male
look like great to unite all world become in one village
Hey nice multicultural wedding information. useful those who are finding wedding planners in dubai
ReplyDelete