Well, it’s been a crazy 2 years for me lately and I’ve decided to let this out in writing, rather than having to keep it to myself. Me and my boyfriend have finally gotten engaged last month and we’ve never been happier. Hi family, including his mom, dad & younger sister (who got married 4 months ago) are beyond excited and so are his uncle and aunties. I moved over to Australia a year ago and my fiancée have been taking care of me fully and supporting me ever since, giving me a comfortable life, encouraging me to further my studies without having to worry about funds or anything. He is an amazing partner, very patient, stable and also cares a lot for his family. Cut the story short, I’ve never met anyone that is as amazing as him.

Our life seems perfect except for one thing, my family. They are against our relationship because of the fact that he is a catholic, not a muslim. We both are not practising our religion (I don’t consider myself to be a strict muslim and it doesn’t matter to me). My family loves him but have said they don’t want to be involved in any way in our engagement or wedding preparation. I’ve only got ONE auntie who is attending my engagement party and the rest is just refusing to acknowledge the fact that I’ve chosen the person him as my life partner.

I have accepted the fact that my family will disown me and not want to be involved with me anymore but my partner being a soft hearted person, he insists that we are not going to shut the door on my family even if they want to shut their door on us. So when he travels to Singapore (where I am from) he visits my dad and my aunties but every time he goes there they keep touching on the religion issue how they want him to convert and so on. We both feel that there is no need for him to do this because we do not intend to lead our lives the muslim way and that there was no point to do this just for the sake of one wedding day and to get them to accept him as part of the family.

I am always a happy person but lately my sister can’t stop getting her face into my business. She messages me over the phone and says nasty things to me like I am bringing shame to the family and that our marriage is illegitimate and that our future child is also illegitimate. Thing is to me, a marriage is a union between two people and that it should be celebration and that all child, doesn’t matter what religion they are born in are gifts itself from God. I feel nothing but hurt in my hear that my family are reacting this way, that they would love their religion more than they do love their own daughter. You can be disapproving of our marriage but that doesn’t mean you can’t put aside your pride for a day and be with me on my wedding day as my family. Family and religion to me are two separate issues. I still love my father, sister and the rest of my families but even if there was no religion I would still love them all the same and that doesn’t change anything. Sometimes, I question myself if I’m being selfish or I’m doing the wrong thing but deep inside in my heart I know that I am marrying a wonderful man that will be a good husband and father to my childrens.

I still don’t know what else I can do to change their minds, I would love for them to be part of my wedding but even if they don’t, I just want them to stop inflicting sadness and pain into our lives. My mom passed away 3 years ago, I know what if she were here, she would