Marriage proposal

I am a motherless daughter. I want to get married but my father had been taking this issue too easy. Either he refuses the proposals on the basis of petty issues or I end up getting a rejection. I have asked from my mother?s sisters and friends to look for a suitable person. Among them, there are ones who are sincerely taking this task and yet others who are not. Overall, I haven?t had much luck yet.What should I do? After consulting one of my friend?s mother, I registered my name in matrimonial websites with high precautions, such as not showing my picture to anyone unless I know a bit about them and who sound trustworthy. Till now, only once I had shown my picture (in Hijab, of course) to one very sound person in all aspects (though I know I can?t guarantee it). That person is starting his job currently so we haven?t got to talk much.I am the only daughter. My brother is younger than me. I am not that open and friendly with my father to show such concerns. Thus, I am totally helpless at what to do. I am not much happy with my current life since I lost my mother. My father has remarried to someone I truly ended up hating. So, I am eager to get married to someone I can be truly happy with, leaving everything behind even the country my family and me are in. I have tried Istikhara recently on which I just ended up deciding, yet again, to leave it to Allah. But shouldn?t someone or I be doing something about it too? I would like a detailed advice on this issue, given my current situation.

Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum. Can a Muslim woman propose to a Muslim man?

Dear Sheikh,  Asalamualaykum. I have been speaking to a muslima for the purpose of marriage for some time. I am 26 and she is 22 and we are both serious about finding a spouse for marriage. We live in different but neighbouring countries in the West and have gotten to know each other via internet. Considering the significant efforts and expenses required to arran ge a meeting given our respective locations, I would like to have as much information about her as possible and make sure the chances of this working out are good enough before making the trip. My question therefore is: is it permissible for her to show me a photo of her showing her hair if that could encourage me to fly over to where she lives and talk to her and her parents?  She is a hijabi and a hanafi. Jazakhallahkhair.

Asalamulikum, I am interested in finding a woman to marry and would like to know the correct way of going about this step. I understand that it is only permissible to look at specific women only after gathering enough information about the person that convinces one offer a proposal and that one can look without her knowledge. My question is can one look randomly if out of leads? Also, what is the ruling of matrimonial sites(there are some advertised on Islamonline).