August 30, 2023
Ahmed Mostafa

With globalization and with the advances in tech and communication, the world has become more interconnected than ever before. This has enabled people from different parts of the world, with various cultural backgrounds to meet.  

In the summer of 2017, while preparing for her IELTS exam for scholarships, Salma Arafa, 25, who works as a translator, met the young Indian man Ibrahim Khan online, on a language-learning app for foreigners. Fate played a role for them to meet on this learning app, and sparked a cross-cultural romance.The rest is history.

After they tied the knot, they young couple embarked on journey together to create visual content on social media platforms to highlight the tourist attractions of both Cairo and Mumbai, where they reside.

“In time, Ibrahim understood my personality and background, so he proposed to my father,” Salma said. Khan, 27, received a warm reception from Salma’s family.

The Indian software engineer and the Egyptian translator held a simple wedding celebration in both Egypt and India, blending traditions from both cultures.

Cross-cultural marriages can bring unique challenges, including differences in communication styles, traditions, family expectations, and values. However, many couples find these challenges enriching and are able to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences.

“Marrying a foreigner is not easy, and comes with challenges, but life is not just a bed of roses. It has its good and bad everywhere. Naturally, I had my own fears and anxiety” She added.

Salma who graduated from the College of Biotechnology, majoring in Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology was also welcomed by Khan’s family, who initially thought she was a Kashmiri. 

“After Ibrahim proposed, he felt a connection to Egypt as if it was part of him, but he was surprised that some Egyptians had certain misconceptions and stereotypes about India, like assuming all Indians are Hindus and there are no Muslims, despite the fact that there are 200 million Muslims in India,” Salma explained.

To change misconceptions from either side, “We decided to create a channel named ‘Salma Arafa Khan,’ where we discuss Indian culture, travel, food and share my experience as an Egyptian living in India, along with the customs between the two countries.”

In addition, they launched a second channel in MIK & SAM – Indian & Egyptian in English and Hindi, where they introduce Egypt and its historical sites to non-Arabic speakers.

“Creating content for our channels requires significant financial investment, effort, and a great deal of time. Our target is to share a video every week. We hope our channels become popular and appreciate their content, while getting to know India, its cultural and traditions up close,” Salma concluded. 

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