no
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
It depends what do u mean by ‘here’. My parents were first cousins, so I hope you are not implying first cousin marriages are universally considered incest. I’m not sure if you know Muhammad (PBUH) and Zainab binte Habbash were first cousins, so were Ali and Fatema.
Personally I am not at all in favour of marriages amongst first cousins due to biological reasons but you have to be sensitive towards feelings of other people in such a sensitive matter. And no I did not feel bad if you think marriage between my parents was incest too.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
it was practised widely in the west here also and Christianity allowed it until there was research and geneticists advised against it and there was a campaign to educate people against the ill effects of first cousin marriages. There are reports that in UK 3 percent of Pakistani population results in 30 percent of child birth defects and many blame it on first cousin marriages.
First-cousin marriages, which are are legal in the UK, are practised within Britain’s Pakistani community, as well as among some Arab and African families.Medical data previously suggested that while British Pakistanis were responsible for 3 per cent of all births, they accounted for 30 per cent of British children born with a genetic illness.
I personally know several married first cousins here where the children were seriously disabled and the tax payer had to pay millions to take care of that matter. It is a sensitive matter however it needs to be addressed
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Re: First Cousin Marriages…
lol, just same rubbish, I’m talking about people’s religious feelings and you are on about scientific explanations! I know those details more than you, in fact a lot more than you, and I have said I am not in favour of cousin marriages and you are educating me into demerits of interbreeding which I know much better than you.
Cousin marriages are genetically a disaster especially if practiced for generations. My parents were first cousins from their mothers but their respective fathers were as far apart genetically as two poles. So there is always a context and background.
Have you bought your new GPS or not?
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
Do educate people about problems with cousin marriages, the genetic stagnation and defects, disabilities, diseases later on in life, poor quality of life, poor life outcomes and burden on taxpayer etc etc etc, and there is nothing wrong with it.
BUT do not use the word incest here as it is inflammatory and insensitive to so many people from a racial, religious and sociopolitical view point.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
I’m okay with it.. I mean my parents are also first cousins.. almost everyone in our family is. Your cousin is your non-mahram so you’re allowed to marry him/her. Baaki yeh sab birth defects etc, Allah chahe to non-cousins mein bhi la skta hai. 
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
How much does alcohol related illnesses and accidents cause the tax payer?
Data is available on line, if u want to look at it.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
One can’t really explain science to a person who doesn’t know about it.
Birth defects in gulf region where cousin marriages are rampant are in order of 2-5%. The quoted 55% in news, is way too high, this needs a scientific study on its own to assess the cause.
Emergence of new traits or species requires a close space with interbreeding in a small groups. Humans may become less adaptable by expanding genetic mixing.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
I am not calling it incest, I am asking about readers opinions if they consider it incest, many young desis brought up here feel the same thing. They were forcing my wife to marry a first cousin and she screamed as she thought it was incest. Most westerners here will openly call it incest. One of Bridget’s friend had an affair with a cousin and she was in disbelief and called it incest. My children and all my nephews would consider it incest. Perhaps the western people use the strong terminology to pry the cousins off. I was told that they used to send geneticists deep south to educate the population.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
Are we talking about alcohol related birth defects or other alcohol related issues…when the stats say that the birth defects are 13 times more common in the ethnic community compared to alcohol drinkers then there you have your answer. There is a campaign on educating people about too much consumption of alcohol. One or two drinks a day are considered to enhance life and health. If that is what you would like to discuss then please open a new thread on it.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
It is common knowledge that diseases with a definite genetic predisposition will be more common (as expected) in communities where people tend to marry within their family. This is understandable given reduced possibilities of genetic variation, diversity, DNA and gene defects repair etc.
It is also true that birth defects and genetically determined illnesses are much more prevalent in some of the most segregated Pakistani communities in the UK, this is quite worrying and needs to be addressed.
Newer survival traits, species characteristics, genetic definition and enhancement does depend upon a limited degree of genetic admixture in defined groups bearing those characteristics e.g selective breeding to enhance a certain characteristic or trait. However there is plenty of evidence when this is done excessively, random genetic mutations do invariably occur from time to time and if subjects continue to remain exclusive within a defined group, the risks of interbreeding far exceed the benefits due to lack of external genetic material to counteract or repair the defected genes.
In my opinion the best compromise is to marry someone who genetically and phenotypically looks similar to you but does not necessarily have to be one from your family or a first cousin. I also do not mind interracial marriages but I personally will be more inclined towards marrying someone who originated from Pakistan
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
How people think about different things from other cultures depend upon their own origins, upbringings, personal beliefs, religious affiliations, education and tolerance levels. Cousin marriages are very common in some Muslim communities and people from other cultures who do not understand Muslim cultures, history and customs should not make sweeping remarks (especially negatives ones) about customs and practices practiced in other faiths and communities. There are many Western values and practices in non-Muslim societies which seem alien to Muslims and they similarly should not disdain those just because they are ‘different’ to them.
I think you should have phrased your OP a bit more sympathetically, for example, ‘how do you feel about cousin marriages and the various biological and social problems associated’ etc.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
I am sure WHO (World Health Organisation) understands medical science and genetics really well. So here is an excerpt from WHO research.
Genetic factorsGenes play an important role in many congenital anomalies. This might be through inherited genes that code for an anomaly, or resulting from sudden changes in genes known as mutations.
Consanguinity (when parents are related by blood) also increases the prevalence of rare genetic congenital anomalies and nearly doubles the risk for neonatal and childhood death, intellectual disability and other anomalies.
Some ethnic communities (such as Ashkenazi Jews or Finns) have a comparatively high prevalence of rare genetic mutations such as Cystic Fibrosis and Haemophilia C.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
Sorry my 3 am posts sometimes are under the influence of the truth serum..holiday season I enjoy my beverages, especially the Irish health drink.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
be sensible and don’t binge! happy drinking
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
Thanks, happy holidays to you, I got a couple of nephews coming over for Christmas lunch. last Christmas I gave them chit, hopefully this time will be different.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
It is incest. What is the debate? No, I will not be “okay” with it either. It is disgusting.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
It’s easy to sequence genome of parents to find if they do carry the gene, recessive or dominant. And ofcourse if the fetus as well. Some more thoughts for expanding google search.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
What about slight intellectual underdevelopment, I have seen a few cases where the guys are just slightly off intellectually, when my friends family came to visit and people said about the boys that they seem a bit off. Will that be detected in testing and also it is reported that average height in Pak dropped due to marriage to relatives.
Re: First Cousin Marriages…
A basic molecular karyotyping genetic test checking for the commonest of genetic disorders costs about 150GBP and the bill is already footed by the NHS in all new born babies. Then a full genome sequence can take up to 1100GBP per head so will cost 2200GBP minimum for two parents. Then add anxiety, fear and all sorts of other emotions in parents when those tests are being carried out. Fetal amniocentesis or CVP to extract a fatal sample for DNA analysis is not totally free from hazards and there is always risk of miscarriage and intrauterine complications.
Often the parents marrying exclusively amongst first cousins come from poor backgrounds and may not even have funds to afford expensive genetic testing. I believe education and changing perspectives and alter beliefs in a friendly, non-judgemental and conciliatory manner will do no harm and might be a better option than customised genetic testing that can be rather expensive and emotionally draining.