MSI Press Blog

  Cross-cultural marriage is not just a union of two people. It’s a fusion of histories, habits, holidays, and sometimes, wildly different spice tolerances. On Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the kind of love that crosses borders — not just geographic, but emotional and cultural. 💬 The Challenges Communication styles : One partner may say “I love you” daily; the other may express it through acts of service or shared silence. Family expectations : Weddings, parenting, even dinner etiquette can become diplomatic negotiations. Language gaps : Sometimes love means smiling through a conversation you only half understand — and laughing when Google Translate gets it hilariously wrong. Tradition clashes : Christmas vs. Lunar New Year. Diwali vs. Thanksgiving. Whose calendar wins? But these challenges aren’t roadblocks. They’re invitations to grow. 🌺 The Rewards Expanded worldview : You don’t just marry a person — you marry a perspective. Richer rituals : Your home becomes a ...

  In some marriages, the vows extend beyond love and loyalty—they reach into the realm of faith itself. Religious conversion due to marriage is not new, but it remains deeply personal and often controversial. A Christian woman converting to Islam to marry a Muslim man may do so out of love, spiritual resonance, or cultural necessity. In many Islamic traditions, while Muslim men may marry Christian or Jewish women without requiring conversion, Muslim women are generally prohibited from marrying non-Muslim men unless the man converts. But what happens when conversion is less about belief and more about belonging? 🕊️  Examples Across Faiths: A Catholic bride converting to Islam to satisfy family expectations and secure a Nikah ceremony. A Protestant groom joining Iglesia ni Cristo to marry his Filipina fiancée, knowing refusal means automatic expulsion from her church. A Hindu woman embracing Christianity after marrying into a devout Christian family, navigating both spiritual a...

In some marriages, the vows extend beyond love and loyalty—they reach into the realm of faith itself. Religious conversion due to marriage is not new, but it remains deeply personal and often controversial. A Christian woman converting to Islam to marry a Muslim man may do so out of love, spiritual resonance, or cultural necessity. In many Islamic traditions, while Muslim men may marry Christian or Jewish women without requiring conversion, Muslim women are generally prohibited from marrying non-Muslim men unless the man converts. But what happens when conversion is less about belief and more about belonging? 🕊️  Examples Across Faiths: A Catholic bride converting to Islam to satisfy family expectations and secure a Nikah ceremony. A Protestant groom joining Iglesia ni Cristo to marry his Filipina fiancée, knowing refusal means automatic expulsion from her church. A Hindu woman embracing Christianity after marrying into a devout Christian family, navigating both spiritual and poli...

  Just released: Audiobook edition of the award-winning book,  Road to Damascus , by Elaine Imady. Book Description: Recommended by US Review of Books and First Runner-Up in the Eric Hoffer Awards legacy competition, Road to Damascus describes the Middle Eastern journey of an American who meets and falls in love with a Syrian when they are both attending school in New York. Giving up her country and her religion to follow her husband back to Syria, Elaine Imady has made a life that has successfully bridged two cultures and two continents. Raising three bi-cultural, bilingual children, Elaine has important insights to offer to readers from either the West or the Middle East about how we can all not only get along with each other but learn to love each other. Her life is symbolic of the best of what can be when two cultures come together. Book Award First Runner-up, Eric Hoffer Award Paperback copies of Elaine's book can be purchased at the  MSI Press webstore   at 25%...