But this is where we run into issues in which we have to be open minded enough not to cut off another Muslim from the rope of Islam. A problem I find with many.. eerrr ultra conservative Muslims as well as the open minded. In your quest to do what is right regarding Islam and what you feel is halal another.. say Me would not agree with what you view as haram or something that you think will lead down the road to the hell fire and hence take no issue in pataking. This is an issue that has been going on in our ummah for years, hence the variant views of fiqh in which each group uses the same sources to support their views.

Again I think each camp uses a broad brush to negate the other and in doing so damages our ummah and we are left incapble of reconciling our differences. We defeat ourselves by not being able to agree to disagree. And the issues don’t have to be so extreme as you pointed out with the women who uncover and basically show their goods.

I’m one of those who sit in the middle, I try to understand the points of each group. I can agree and disagree and not take issue with a person unless that person violates the ability of others to agree or disagree with a view. One may view this as making Islam a burger king slogan but I would strongly disagree with that deduction

I was watching some Saudi Minister on one of the arab channels stating that peaceful demonstrations and protests are innovation since it did not exist at the time of the Prophet (pbuh), hmmm, arent the Royal family as head of state an innovation as well? That is the type of religious thinking that needs reform.

Yes; the family members of a woman married to a Saudi can come for visits. Usually the Saudi husband sponsors them and they arrive on visitor visas. Umrah or hajj visas would be applied for separately. And of course the Kingdom puts a hiatus on issuing visitor visas when it is near Umrah and Hajj. So if you wait until after Hajj season and apply, it should not take that long.

Quick question that I thought you obviously could answer. When one (I’ll just narrow it down to a Muslim American woman from a Muslim family who lived in the US) marries a Saudi man, and moves to Saudi Arabia, is it possible for her family to come and visit her in KSA? Is there some kind of visa? And does it take a long time if it’s even possible?

A group of friends and I were talking about how difficult it would be to marry someone and live in a country where your family would have a hard time being able to visit you.

Your answer/advice would be greatly appreciated

Question for ummadam: You seem to be operating under the assumption that if someone does something considered taboo amongst muslim conservatives they are going against their deen or religion. What if their choice to not wear a scarf/abaya, or shake-hands with a business colleague of the opposite gender, or drive a car (in the case of women) is based upon a laboured and well-thought out interpretation of their faith Islam? Something that may not fall into your definition or the conservative majority’s definition of Islam but is completely in agreement with the Islam of such an individual?

There is nothing wrong with being openminded and going against cultural norms if those norms opposed Islam. The problem is replacing one evil with another (your cultural for some other unislamic culture).