Need your opinion if you are familiar​ with middle Eastern culture

[spartan688]

I am an Egyptian guy and recently I have been seeing a girl from Europe That i am very attracted to but she is leaving​ Egypt very soon. When I asked her about her experience here she told me that she doesn't think that she can't find Love here. I tried to ask her for More details about her answer but she was a bit uncomfortable or not feeling at ease. She is a bit shy so she told me it's because the difference in culture and it's also about the religion here. I think she was trying to say that one of the reasons was that here people don't have sex till they are married. I wanted to express my feelings for her and that I want us to be together but after her answer i didn't feel the courage to say anything. So If you are familiar with the middle Eastern culture i would like to hear your​ opinion about why it's difficult to be in a relationship with someone of middle Eastern origins.

[abitbroken]

It has nothing to do with the difference of sex before marriage or sex saved for marriage. There are tons of Orthodox Jews and also Christians in Europe who believe that way, too. So its not that. She is being honest with you that your religion and culture is not something she can withstand for the long term. I know i could not give up my faith and know i would want to live where the culture was more familiar. And middle Eastern countries do not have a good track record when it comes to very basic women's rights - the right to their children, the right to move freely in public, etc, and there are many horror stories of Western women marrying and then losing their kids/not being able to leave the Muslim nation because they cannot take their children with them as they are citizens of that nation. A colleague of mine met a man form the area in Grad school. They fell in love and married. They moved to Saudi Arabia and later Egypt for him to finish a degree and he started to change being around his male relatives. They ultimately moved back to the US, but it was an eye opener. Right now, she has more freedom as a foreignter/tourist so may not see the differences a strongly.

 

I say just treat it as a nice romance you had and leave it at that. You are too different for her to see you as a future husband. Her heart is back home

[Careerchoice]

Regret is a difficult thing to live with, so before she leaves, express how you feel and see what happens. She may really not see a future with you, but she also may need to see be the one to make the emotional leap. Don't leave anything a mystery.

[thealchemist]

Just from a different view. If she is from Europe and was just in a temporary situation that had her in Egypt, like school or work, she might have just given you that answer as a cop-out. She might has just wanted a foreign fling and isn't being honest because it's easier for her to lie.

 

It could also be that she dislikes the discrepancy in gender rights.

[Clio]

So If you are familiar with the middle Eastern culture i would like to hear your​ opinion about why it's difficult to be in a relationship with someone of middle Eastern origins.

 

For me it would not be the middle Eastern origins per se but the very poor track record most of these countries have when it comes to womens' rights. Having to go around with my head covered, having religion to dictate what I wear, how I behave, who I keep company with, whether I can travel alone and being treated as a second class citizen in comparison to men? These are all appaling to women who have had the good fortune to grow up in a country where women have equal rights to men. Even if they fall for a middle Eastern guy, things can turn very sour for them once reality hits in and they end up being treated as a second class citizen. This girl has probably thought of all that. In addition, it may be that this her feelings are not strong enough for you and she is trying to let you down easy.

[spartan688]

Thanks everyone for your input. I really don't know if I should tell her about how i feel towards her or just leave it as a romantic fling as She will leave in 10 days. One of the the reasons that got us closer to each other is that i am More influenced by the Western culture than my own as many of my friends are from different parts of Europe. And because of That reason she told me that she felt very easy to deal, talk and communicate with me.

A couple of months ago she told me that she had a lot of affection for me but she is still attached to her ex-boyfriend back in her country. He broke up with her because he couldn't wait​ for her for five months while she is here but then he contacted her again and told her let's be friends. He is giving her mixed signals sometimes he is Cold with her and sometimes warm and this affects the way she is treating me as well sometimes she is very warm and friendly with me and some times very cold and distant. Also i am leaving the country in August to start my masters degree in the united States so even is she was willing to stay in Egypt I wasn't planning to do so. I know that the whole situation is pretty complicated and it's kind of we met in the wrong place at The wrong Time and that's why i decided to not be so emotionally invested but lately I couldn't help but to do the opposite. Even if we got together i have no idea how we can work it out as we both planning to leave to two different countries. Some friends of mine tell me not to say anything to her and not to complicate the situation more than it's already. Other friends tell me don't think too much about the future just tell her how you feel about her and see where things will go from there.

I am really confused right now and don't know what to do.

[Careerchoice]

Some friends of mine tell me not to say anything to her and not to complicate the situation more than it's already.

 

At the risk of what? Regret, man. Don't live with a "what if?"

[Jibralta]

She is a bit shy so she told me it's because the difference in culture and it's also about the religion here. I think she was trying to say that one of the reasons was that here people don't have sex till they are married. I wanted to express my feelings for her and that I want us to be together but after her answer i didn't feel the courage to say anything. So If you are familiar with the middle Eastern culture i would like to hear your​ opinion about why it's difficult to be in a relationship with someone of middle Eastern origins.

 

Her explanation is a little vague. I could guess at a few things, but the best thing would really be to ask her.

 

I wouldn't jump right to the "no premarital sex" thing, though. Lots of people don't want to have premarital sex, not just those from the Middle East.

 

She is recently out of a relationship, so maybe now is not the time to express your feelings for her. But you can offer her your friendship, which I'm sure would mean a lot. Stay connected through social media. You never know what can develop over the years.

[abitbroken]

Thanks everyone for your input. I really don't know if I should tell her about how i feel towards her or just leave it as a romantic fling as She will leave in 10 days. One of the the reasons that got us closer to each other is that i am More influenced by the Western culture than my own as many of my friends are from different parts of Europe. And because of That reason she told me that she felt very easy to deal, talk and communicate with me.

A couple of months ago she told me that she had a lot of affection for me but she is still attached to her ex-boyfriend back in her country. He broke up with her because he couldn't wait​ for her for five months while she is here but then he contacted her again and told her let's be friends. He is giving her mixed signals sometimes he is Cold with her and sometimes warm and this affects the way she is treating me as well sometimes she is very warm and friendly with me and some times very cold and distant. Also i am leaving the country in August to start my masters degree in the united States so even is she was willing to stay in Egypt I wasn't planning to do so. I know that the whole situation is pretty complicated and it's kind of we met in the wrong place at The wrong Time and that's why i decided to not be so emotionally invested but lately I couldn't help but to do the opposite. Even if we got together i have no idea how we can work it out as we both planning to leave to two different countries. Some friends of mine tell me not to say anything to her and not to complicate the situation more than it's already. Other friends tell me don't think too much about the future just tell her how you feel about her and see where things will go from there.

I am really confused right now and don't know what to do.

 

So when it comes down to it, she is still in love with another man. That's the primary issue. There is nothing you can do about it.

 

The other issue is that yes you say you are more Westernized, but when it comes to settling down, marrying, raising kids and faith, it will be more than likely than mimicking your American friends, you will go back to your roots and raise kids and treat your wife like you were raised to do. I think you are smitten with her and are also kidding yourself a little as well. Just tell her how you feel because you will regret not, but also tell her you respect her wishes and wish her the best.