“Now I am 100% Libyan” – this might not be the typical phrase you’d expect from a blond-haired blue-eyed Swedish woman. But Elisabeth Elhazza’s whirlwind marriage to her Libyan sweetheart Khairi (who’s seven years her junior) has been, if nothing else, the epitome of an altogether unusual love story.
Our wise friends at Muslimah Media Watch published an interesting and candid piece discussing an article on Elisabeth that originally appeared in Swedish woman’s mag “Tara”. MMW reveals how the article offers quite an exotic and perhaps misleading portrait of inter-faith marriage. It describes Elisabeth’s marriage, which took place “secretly in a mosque”. It also exudes the exoticism and enigma of her acceptance of Khairi’s marriage proposal, stepping into what was, for her, “an unfamiliar and strange culture.”
Aladdin and Jasmine?
Khairi and Elisabeth had a fairytale wedding to kick start their new life in Libya: his family provided her with traditional clothes, gold bracelets, harem pants, and henna – the whole nine yards. Elisabeth seems to have taken all in her stride, embracing Libyan culture wholeheartedly.Life’s too short to wait and hesitate!” She told Tara.
“I married Khairi, and that I got this culture into the bargain is incredibly exciting.” What a bargain! How fun!”
Elizabeth describes how wearing traditional clothes made her feel “like family,” talks about the summer home the couple are building in Libya, and their intention to name their son Jacob, which works in both Arabic and Swedish.
The article culminates in the politically correct advice to live in the moment and realize “we are all people,” followed by some travel notes about Libya.
Rose Tinted Glasses?
Despite affirming that Elisabeth has found love and Islam, the end of the article reveals that she hasn’t actually converted to the faith: the secret marriage at the mosque was arranged to avoid any criticism given that Elisabeth’s friends and family weren’t exactly ecstatic about the match.
As MMW points out, international media coverage of interfaith marriage often focuses on the challenges and conflicts. In this case, Tara highlights the fairytale element of this particular Swedish-Libyan intermarriage.
It’s interesting to contrast perspectives, as the truth is so often somewhere in-between…
Have you had an inter-faith marriage? Got any tips or a story to share? Do let us know!
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Inshalla this lady will have lasting love, alas many u.k women marry north african men,and are persuaded to send too much money back to build “holiday” homes after obtaining u.k visa/passport etc,, only to be left alone with nothing when the husband decides he needs a” traditional” wifeFROM HIS COUNTRY.what makes the practice so disgusting is the mens familys are often in on these awfull deeds,lying and ruining lives,using trusting women as cash cows then cruelly discarding them,often taking children away from loving mothers to north africa,where a european woman often has no voice…even if she has become a good muslima,she will never be good enough……