Age gap relationships in lebanese society?

ive been in an internet relationship for over 2 yrs with daily contact and we met twice. Im british hes christian leb. However, im older age 42 and hes 25. we met on a dating site and fell in love. we communicated every day by phone and skype for hours on end. ive never been married or had kids and have always gone out with younger men, so this wasnt any different for me. he doesnt want children so this suited him and he prefers older women. We are so serious that i thought nothing could stop us. we met twice in turkey for a month and it was fantastic and we felt the same. he has never told his family about me only his friends and they were happy for him. we decided to finally get engaged and in 2 mths were going back to turkey to do this and then just before christmas we had planned to go back there and get married. i would then apply for a uk visa for him to join me or me to go to him. I had even lined up a job in beirut if i needed to go to him. But a few months ago he told his mother and she didnt accept it all. he has tried and tried but nothing would change her mind. He was still insistent on going ahead with our plans until last week when he told her of the engagement, she threw him out and made him choose between me and his family. yesterday he ended it and i am devastated. he was the most wonderful person i had ever met. he is so broken hearted and told me he still loves me and i feel the same. he said he will never forget me and will never as happy as he was, but he has no choice in this and now feels so guilty that he is grief stricken. everyone said he was after a visa to come here and i knew from the beginning he wasnt. it is so unfair that two people can love each other but can be stopped. im british and i dont understand the culture, but can anyone enlighten me on the family issue here, cos im going out of my mind. i dont want to lose him over something like this. it has been so hard and the committment between us so strong and we have overcome so many obstacles for something like this to now happen. please give me some advice. is a relationship like this doomed there or can it work. is he lying to me about the family thing...i need to know please. why has he listened to her i dont understand it.