Muslim and Catholic Marriage - OK

My name is Adila and I am a practicing Muslim. I have been married to my Catholic husband Simon for a year now but this did not come about without any difficulty. Many members of my family still do not speak to me or even acknowledge my existence just because I did not marry a fellow Muslim.

Why should all Muslim girls be forced into marring someone they barely even know and maybe do not even love? Marriage is permanent and frankly I would rather spend the rest of my life with someone I fell in love with not who my parents put me with just to make sure I am a married woman.

When Simon proposed to me I immediately knew that my parents would not agree to the marriage but this would leave me heartbroken so I said yes as I love him and nothing would get in the way of us living the rest of our lives together. I told my parents that Simon and I were to be married and as I suspected they immediately disagreed and said that the marriage would never take place or they would never speak to me again. Of course I took this into consideration but I love Simon and I am an independent woman who has her own mind and can make her own actions and decisions so I went against my mother and father's wishes and married Simon.

Eventually my parents came round and are now speaking to me and Simon. They have learnt that tradition is not always the answer and sometimes it can be broken and have got to know Simon and really like him! I am so happy with the way things turned out. I have my mother, father and husband who all love me and care for me and that is all I need!

Adila