To think that 1st Cousin Marriage should be illegal

[stucknoue]

Background: as part of my job I rent out halls, they are very popular for Asian parties and weddings and my clients are lovely, often bringing me food and inviting me to their celebrations.

Over the past couple of months I've unfortunately had to rent the hall for child funeral meals twice to the same family, the kids were cousins and had the same rare genetic condition. In talking to their grandad he revealed that he and his wife were cousins, then going on to tell me that the parents of the sadly deceased children were also cousins. I looked up that cousin marriage increases genetic conditions 3 fold, the more generations that have practiced it then the higher the probability. With our knowledge of science surely this practice should be outlawed?

My aunty married her cousin after first husband buggered off and left her with three small children. He was a wonderful man and worked three jobs to provide for his family. Yes they did go on to have their own 7 children. Three of the children died. One in a car accident, one from a Leukaemia type blood disorder and one of the twins died in hospital because they took them in and left the cot of one in a draft and he had a cold he died of pneumonia. He went in for blood tests at 6 months old. They also adopted a child of a 16 YO who was known to the family but not blood related because mum couldn't cope and was signs of neglect.
They fostered her for 2 years then SS said they could go for adoption if they wanted so they did. She was second youngest.
I think unless you are very knowledgeable in that field then you shouldn't make assumptions.

It really should be made illegal.

My ex told me that his dad had a child with his cousin. So his sibling is not only his sibling but his second cousin (which I think it's technically referred to as a niece/nephew?)

It's all kinds of wrong.

So you think that people shouldn't be allowed to follow their cultural norms?

Not if it is harmful. Female genital mutilation is a ‘cultural norm’. Do you think that should be allowed to?

I think education is the way forward here and I think it will be less prevalent as time goes on and British born/ educated young people make different choices. My Asian friends who’s parents are cousins all say that they wouldn’t choose to marry their cousin.

There was a radio 4 programme about this a while back - marriage and health problems/diet in certain communities. The lack of knowledge and understanding of these issues in the people interviewed was quite startling in this day and age.

I'd be more concerned about half siblings marrying without knowing they are related - so many families are fractured nowadays I'm sure it does happen. My DSs bio father hasn't had any contact since DS was 3 - he could have gone off and had daughters and I wouldn't have known, all it takes is DS and Exes DD to go to the same university....

I think education is a much better tool than a ban. Especially when marriages would just happen religiously or overseas anyway. Far better to equip people with knowledge than to turn it into something that happens hidden

So his sibling is not only his sibling but his second cousin (which I think it's technically referred to as a niece/nephew?)

They'd be his first cousin once removed, not second cousin.

This is Charles II of Spain, described as "short, lame, epileptic, senile and completely bald before 35, always on the verge of death but repeatedly baffling Christendom by continuing to live" , and the diagram shows the marriage relationships of the Spanish Habsburg families, which include two uncle/niece marriages.
Unfortunately the connection doesn't seem to have been made and royal families continued to marry cousins - Victoria and Albert were first cousins, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra 3rd cousins, King George V and Queen Mary 2nd cousins and Elizabeth and Philip are both 3rd cousins through Victoria and 2nd cousins once removed through Christian IX of Denmark.

The majority of the local health trust budget is spent on hearing problems.
The majority of patients accessing rhat service are Asian. Fact. Not racism, cold, hard facts.
If you happen to visit the local town (has been on TV for the diverse populace and lack of integration) also predominately Asian, there are a disproportionate amount of severely disabled children.

So yanbu, first cousin marriages should be addressed for economic reasons if nothing else.

Narked, there are genetic studies of the Amish which may interest you.

What does their ethnicity have to do with anything?
...
It's more prevalent in Asian families

I know of several Asian families where cousin marriages are the norm.

It should be banned.

YANBU I was aware from a young age that it is not ok to marry first cousins because of genetics.

First there could be education. There were TV programs about this years ago but now it is not considered appropriate because it might cause offense.
Then make it illegal and no loopholes for religious reasons.
If you see these poor children it is heartbreaking that they can never have a normal life.

The European royal families had various problems from first cousin and close relation marriages. Is it racist to mention this?

There is also a Jewish population which carries out genetic testing before marriage because the historical small generic pool makes them susceptible to particular genetic conditions. Not first cousin marriages now but a historical closed community. I suspect this could be the case with any closed community which historically would be quite common where there was an element of geographic isolation. Isn’t this the case on the Pitcairn Islands?

I know of an Asian woman who married an english man and thieri
offspring, one to Ofxord and the other to Cambridge:)

That did work well and both children perfectly healthy!

How will education help? How would you like it if people from another ethnicity and culture started educating you on why you should be like them?
A real British thread, let's all be like Britain and share their culture coz a random ill educated person says so.

Yes - but I assume they weren’t cousins? Not all Asians marry their cousins!

And education would explain the potential health issues. I’ve known people do this for passports.

Isn’t this the case on the Pitcairn Islands?

Isnt that where many years ago visiting seafarers were encouraged to go among the local women and spred their genes?..

I'm descended from a line with a few first cousin marriages in... Its been my go to excuse any time I've fucked anything up "that's what happens when first cousins marry 😁". In all seriousness we (my sibling and cousins) seem to be okay but I'd have to agree its not ideal and we may have got lucky!

My friend actually let slip to me when she was drunk her husband was her cousin. She was forced to marry him though at 21 their daughter is and looks normal. Actually very sweet girl..

Not in favour of cousin marriage of course it is disgusting in my opinion and yes should be banned it's an ancient way of thinking..

PS white British background back to 1600s at least

“The majority of the local health trust budget is spent on hearing problems.”

I find this astonishingly unlikely!

Whilst the points about European royalty are interesting and accurate I hope they aren’t used in a “posh people do it so why can’t everyone else” argument

How will education help?

Why bother with schools at all, really ?

How would you like it if people from another ethnicity and culture started educating you on why you should be like them?

What, like Christians, you mean. Coming over here with that middle eastern mumbo jumbo ?

but you would certainly hope that doctors and local health authorities would be working with local communities and mosques to raise awareness of the risks. It’s very sad.

2/10 op

🎣

I too have concerns over the extra policing of Women's reproductive rights.

Mother's over 40 have more chance of having a disabled child than three generations of first cousins.

So we need to ban women over 40 from having babies as well.

The issue in the Pakistani community is how far back that very small gene pool goes and the genetic faults.

Starting to ban groups of Women from giving birth is a slippery slope.

I know of an Asian woman who married an english man and thieri
offspring, one to Ofxord and the other to Cambridge

So they weren’t cousins?