Becoming an Immigrant for love and Islam
Thursday, August 27, 2009 Read more → culture, ramadan, trips and vacations, views, Zahra-Shah In the name of God, entirely Compassionate, especially Merciful | Peace be with you
In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ Peace be with you السلام عليكم
Well it wasn't that simple, two years is a long time, it was a struggle even with having a good job to come up with a few thousand dollars to leave the country and the fact my future husband was a student was not much help. I shed tears and shivered with fear and excitement as I watched each piece of furniture I owned, every memory I had of the last 5 years living on my own, and my two cats who I adored, find new homes. I started to second guess myself when I was homeless, jobless and had nothing left in the world but a suitcase full of clothes, a passport and a plane ticket.
About 5 months ago I arrived in New Zealand, if being on the other side of the world wasn't hard enough, me and my husband were from different cultures; after getting over the jet lag I had from the 32 hours of traveling, I had to get used to a slew of new faces, remember names, and eat food I wasn't use too.
I was extremely excited but extremely home sick, I think my husband could relate slightly, he came from Fiji to study in New Zealand. About two weeks after my arrival, on my 22nd birthday we were married alhumduillah. It's amazing to think just months ago we were on completely opposite sides of the world.
It was worth it, it took time to adjust and we still struggle, and New Zealand was a little less welcoming in regards to my head scarf, but me and my husband stand strong on our beliefs for they are the very grounds in which we decided to leave our countries and marry. A few weeks ago, we moved to the south island of New Zealand; my husband is finishing his studies here, we are both looking for jobs and trying to lay out our future.
We have started an exciting and difficult journey together - we both are immigrants, we both are jobless and dependant on his family, and we both have to find a way to either stay in New Zealand together, or be able to go back to Canada together since Fiji is a poor and unstable country. It's a lot to deal with and a big test on our relationship, but we are in deed ready for the challenge. Most people think we're crazy, but we love each other we married for the sake of Allah swt and because we thought together we could raise pious children, and alhumduillah we are best friends.
His family calls us "extreme" (apperently praying, growing a beard, praying, fasting and overall trying to be a good Muslim is extreme) but we have Allah and we know we are doing everything for the sake of our faith and trying to be good people, and we know we have an up hill battle with immigration . InshaAllah we can survive in a city that is not a huge fan of migrants, immigrants and especially Muslims. InshaAllah we can find jobs and work towards staying together, getting on our feet, settling down, and starting a family.
But I have to admit when coming from one side of the world to the other I kind of thought customs and immigration at the border would be like this...
Immigration Officer: HA-VEEE YOUUUUU PA-CK-ED YOUUUURRRR (pointing at me) OWN BAGGGSSS?! (points at bags)
Me: Yup.
Immigration Officer: *motions another officer over* I think we may need a translator...its another Muhammed...
Me: What? I speak English.
Immigration Officer: OK I guess I'll avoid wasting time and take a shot at it. *clears throat* CANNN YOUUUU UNDERRSTAND WHATT I *points to himself* AM SAYYYY INGGGG ...CANNN YOU HEARRRR MEEEE THROUGHHH YOURRRR HEADDDD COVERRRR INGGGG... *points at head*...
Ramadan Mubarak everyone, may all your du'as, prayers and fasts be excepted by Allah swt, may he ease all the worries and difficulties you have and guide you on the patht hat will make you not only successful in this world but more importantly the here after.
Walikum asalaam wa rahmatulla,
Zahra - The Immigrant
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Peace & respect ★
Immigration, if you haven't been through it you will have no clue what I'm talking about. It goes about a little like this..
Immigration officer: Did you pack your own bags?
Me: No, my packing elf did.
*get horribly dirty look*
Me: *smile* Yes indeed I've packed my own bags.
Immigration officer: How long do you plan on staying in the country?
(Me thinking) FOREVER MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Saying: Before my 3 month visa expires....I think my flight is next month on the 25th...
Immigration Officer stamps my passport and allows me to go to the area where they x-ray and examine your bags, but this is just the beginning.
I am an Immigrant...well kind of... I came from Canada to live in New Zealand.
The one thing most people don't know is that my and my husband's story is pretty different than most. About 2 years ago we met on Muxlim, which at the time was Muslim Spaces, back when there was a shout box and we could change the colours of our profiles. To this day I'm really not sure how it happened, but alhumduillah we met, we clicked and 2 years later I was on a plane from Toronto, Canada to Auckland, New Zealand.
Me: No, my packing elf did.
*get horribly dirty look*
Me: *smile* Yes indeed I've packed my own bags.
Immigration officer: How long do you plan on staying in the country?
(Me thinking) FOREVER MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Saying: Before my 3 month visa expires....I think my flight is next month on the 25th...
Immigration Officer stamps my passport and allows me to go to the area where they x-ray and examine your bags, but this is just the beginning.
I am an Immigrant...well kind of... I came from Canada to live in New Zealand.
The one thing most people don't know is that my and my husband's story is pretty different than most. About 2 years ago we met on Muxlim, which at the time was Muslim Spaces, back when there was a shout box and we could change the colours of our profiles. To this day I'm really not sure how it happened, but alhumduillah we met, we clicked and 2 years later I was on a plane from Toronto, Canada to Auckland, New Zealand.
Well it wasn't that simple, two years is a long time, it was a struggle even with having a good job to come up with a few thousand dollars to leave the country and the fact my future husband was a student was not much help. I shed tears and shivered with fear and excitement as I watched each piece of furniture I owned, every memory I had of the last 5 years living on my own, and my two cats who I adored, find new homes. I started to second guess myself when I was homeless, jobless and had nothing left in the world but a suitcase full of clothes, a passport and a plane ticket.
About 5 months ago I arrived in New Zealand, if being on the other side of the world wasn't hard enough, me and my husband were from different cultures; after getting over the jet lag I had from the 32 hours of traveling, I had to get used to a slew of new faces, remember names, and eat food I wasn't use too.
I was extremely excited but extremely home sick, I think my husband could relate slightly, he came from Fiji to study in New Zealand. About two weeks after my arrival, on my 22nd birthday we were married alhumduillah. It's amazing to think just months ago we were on completely opposite sides of the world.
It was worth it, it took time to adjust and we still struggle, and New Zealand was a little less welcoming in regards to my head scarf, but me and my husband stand strong on our beliefs for they are the very grounds in which we decided to leave our countries and marry. A few weeks ago, we moved to the south island of New Zealand; my husband is finishing his studies here, we are both looking for jobs and trying to lay out our future.
We have started an exciting and difficult journey together - we both are immigrants, we both are jobless and dependant on his family, and we both have to find a way to either stay in New Zealand together, or be able to go back to Canada together since Fiji is a poor and unstable country. It's a lot to deal with and a big test on our relationship, but we are in deed ready for the challenge. Most people think we're crazy, but we love each other we married for the sake of Allah swt and because we thought together we could raise pious children, and alhumduillah we are best friends.
His family calls us "extreme" (apperently praying, growing a beard, praying, fasting and overall trying to be a good Muslim is extreme) but we have Allah and we know we are doing everything for the sake of our faith and trying to be good people, and we know we have an up hill battle with immigration . InshaAllah we can survive in a city that is not a huge fan of migrants, immigrants and especially Muslims. InshaAllah we can find jobs and work towards staying together, getting on our feet, settling down, and starting a family.
But I have to admit when coming from one side of the world to the other I kind of thought customs and immigration at the border would be like this...
Immigration Officer: HA-VEEE YOUUUUU PA-CK-ED YOUUUURRRR (pointing at me) OWN BAGGGSSS?! (points at bags)
Me: Yup.
Immigration Officer: *motions another officer over* I think we may need a translator...its another Muhammed...
Me: What? I speak English.
Immigration Officer: OK I guess I'll avoid wasting time and take a shot at it. *clears throat* CANNN YOUUUU UNDERRSTAND WHATT I *points to himself* AM SAYYYY INGGGG ...CANNN YOU HEARRRR MEEEE THROUGHHH YOURRRR HEADDDD COVERRRR INGGGG... *points at head*...
---
Ramadan Mubarak everyone, may all your du'as, prayers and fasts be excepted by Allah swt, may he ease all the worries and difficulties you have and guide you on the patht hat will make you not only successful in this world but more importantly the here after.
Walikum asalaam wa rahmatulla,
Zahra - The Immigrant
---
Peace & respect ★
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