HELP - Living together as an unmarried couple in Egypt!?

[garwyli91]

I have a question, which I hope that someone can answer.

My boyfriend is an Egyptian muslim and lives in Egypt and I am Danish christian and live in Denmark. On Sunday I will go to visit him and his family in Cairo. Our plan is to stay a couple of days with his family in their home and then we would like to rent an apartment for a week to have a little time on our own. The problem is that in Egypt it is not legal for unmarried couples to live/stay together in the same home. None of us have intentions to get married right now, but we still want to stay together in this apartment and spend as much time together as possible. My boyfriend suggests that we can "get married" in a way, which will only be valid in Egypt. It will make this stay together thing legal in religion and society, but it will not be a valid marriage internationally, in Denmark or by law, just religion and society. I asked him about the procedure and he says that his father will be there and we will have to sign a piece of paper and put our pictures on it and that's it. It's not that I don't trust my boyfriend, because I really do. I just want to know what kind of marriage this is? How binding is it and what kind of commitment am I making if I sign this paper?

[emmanuil54]

I would be suspicious of this. If it were that easy, then unmarried couples would be living together all over Egypt and it would no longer be illegal. It's only a week. Why don't you just respect the laws of the country you are visiting? I wish more people coming into the US respected our laws.

[oded]

Denmark, as most countries, recognize legal marriage elsewhere. If you are legally married in Egypt, then you will be legally married in Denmark, and any other country too.


Also, take the law in Egypt seriously. In Egypt sharia law usually only applies to Muslims. As a non Muslim, you would not be breaking the law by living with your boyfriend, but he would be breaking the law by living with you. He could end up in prison or even worse.

[cumhea]

If you get married anywhere in the world then it is legal EVERY WHERE in the world! Don't marry him unless he wants to be married to you in ALL countries! Also I suggest you do NOT go to Egypt. I will never ever ever go there after US 60 minutes reporter Lara Logan was attacked and almost killed by a group of Egyptian men she was talking to. It was horrible. Egyptian men treat women like dirt. In that country you have little to no rights as a woman. You will be considered HIS property, especially if you marry him. Read up about the country and do not go there! Maybe visit but do not live there! I would stay with his parents and NOT get an apartment with him if living with him breaks any laws. Do NOT sign anything in Egypt that binds you to him!
http://www.extratv.com/2011/02/16/60-minutes-reporter-lara-logan-sexually-assaulted-in-egypt/


If Egypt wants my money as a tourist they will never get it now. She was almost killed for no reason except she was a woman. She is alive by sure luck. The men grabbed at her and pulled off all her clothes and sexually assaulted her for the heck of it. Their camera light went out and then her coworkers heard men yell in arabic "take her pants off!" and then her male coworkers were pushed away from her and she was almost ripped apart!

[orlondo100]

surely you are too smart and savvy to do anything like this.

why don't you rent two hotel rooms side by side?

[khalid]

surely you are too smart and savvy to do anything like this.

why don't you rent two hotel rooms side by side?

You'd sign a legal wedding contract, as dictated by both islamic and egyptian law. It's recognized internationally and some day when you decide to marry someone else, he can whip out that paper and prove he's your husband.

Contracts are contracts. Don't be stupid.