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?

I wonder if the NHS is impacted.

How many posters have said this is a Pakistani or Muslim thing without even knowing any facts?

Thank you

My family are Romany and some follow the old tradition norms and belief system, originating in SE Asia. Some have married first cousins, others stand when a man comes into the room. Some have arranged marriages, and some decide not to.
Shall we just make everything illegal that doesn't follow our societal norms?

I think Queen Victoria and Albert were first Cousins?

Not sure but Victoria’s kids did marry off into other royal families didn’t they?

Not racist at all to state simple facts. Is it racist to state that sickle cell disease is more prevalent in families of African origin?

And the people who say stuff along the lines of “well I married my first cousin and our children are fine” are totally missing the point.

www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/haemophilia.html

Haemophilia is hereditary, but can occur as a spontaneous mutation.

Queen Victoria was a clear carrier and the mutation 'spread' through Europe through her daughters.

Nice bit of casual racism there. hmm

I see where you’re coming from but it IS relevant because inter -family marriage IS more prevalent in Asian families.

It’s also very common in Irish Travellers. They have issues with certain genetic dieseases including one quite rare one which effects babies at birth and their ability to digest certain enzymes I think it’s similar to PKU. They test for it in Irish hospitals when your baby is born

You can't tell people how to live and question their belief system

So you aren't against things like FGM because "you can't tell people how to live". Should paedophilia not be illegal either? Don't be silly.

@MrsFezziwig interestingly, sickle cell is related to having ancestors who had malaria, I was tested as I'm South American. In most trusts they test every pregnant woman now as you don't know who has non-Caucasian ancestry. Jamie Oliver is an eighth Sudanese.

OP wasnt being racist as she has only seen it in asian communities but the constant mentions of asians is what makes the thread ignorant because let's not pretend there are several communities who engage in incest or family marriage.

How can people use "you can't tell other people how to live" as an excuse for anything? Tell that to the girls who go through things like this...

www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/01/confronting-a-sexual-rite-of-passage-in-malawi/283196/

It's true about DNA, and not knowing until you take a test.
My ancestors for a few generations were all Western European, mainly UK.
However, I have a high percentage of SE Asia, Pakistan, Turkey and Caucasus, E. European, Balochistan, and lots of very small percentages world wide.

Of course There are lots of communities where inter family relations are rife but The British population is no longer one of them. However they are directly affected by one of those communities being one of their biggest ethnic minorities and a integral part of British society. That’s why we’re discussing Bangladeshi/ Pakistani communities rather than some South American tribe.

How can people use "you can't tell other people how to live" as an excuse for anything? Tell that to the girls who go through things like this...

Because it is FA to do with you, me, or anyone else.

Good to know you condone abuse

The problem with MN is some people shout racist at anything, hence they get ignored. If white English people were doing this there would be hysteria

I seriously cannot believe that you think the rape and abuse of children is nobody else's problem. This is why "relativism" in such an extreme form is abhorrent.

Of course There are lots of communities where inter family relations are rife but The British population is no longer one of them.

Oh yes it is, and that's why this thread is racist and shouldn't be allowed to stand.
It isn't confined to the communities and cultures stated. They are just being used to identify a worldwide practice.
It happens, I know several families of White British who have married cousins, including my own.

Because it is FA to do with you, me, or anyone else.

Whhhaaaaat? Anyone can do anything they like? Bit of wife beating, incest, abusing animals, theft, rape, murder... That sounds like a great society (or lack of society) in which to live.

Drabarni should we make it legal for adults to have sex with primary school children because hey we can't tell them how to live right? We certainly can't punish them for it, it's just different strokes for different folks right? I despair.

Why have any law at all if nobody can be told how to live?! Let fathers marry their daughters, who cares, they might not have kids.

@hiphopchick it’s a genetic statement of fact. The Pakistani population of the UK accounts for 1.6% of the total population. The rate of cousin marriage is 55%. Despite making up only 1.6% of the population, they account for 62% of hereditary genetic disorders in the UK. To argue against genetics by shouting racism isn’t helpful in both aiding a community with a massive infant mortality rate due to genetic disorders or our struggling health service.

Sleepy

wrong thread I think. This one is about cousins marrying, nobody except you has mentioned paedophiles, although they are quite rife in our society especially schools and churches.

Imra

Well as long as it doesn't count as child rape or abuse in that particular culture at that time, it's dandy apparently.

Let's see if this works.

The top disorders within the Irish Traveller community.

According to one study published in the BMJ, there are over 90 inheritable diseases.