Cousin marriages: tradition versus taboo

As many question the practice based on the health risks, what is the way forward?

0 Comments

Consanguineous marriage, or inter-family marriage, is a practice steeped in culture, tradition and economics. But many question it and the health risks that are posed. In this battle of tradition versus science what is the way forward? A deeper understanding of the health effects of cousin marriage and better medical care for the children or banning these unions altogether? Join the conversation at 1930GMT.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Quy-Toan Do
Economist, World Bank

Michael Woodley
Evolutionary psychologist

Ohad Birk
Head of Genetics Institute, Soroka University Medical Center

Mohamed Hemish @MohamedHemish
Freelance writer

Anisah Bagasra & Sajid Saleem
Married cousins

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

View the story "Cousin marriages: tradition versus taboo" on StorifyCousin marriages: tradition versus tabooAs many question the practice based on the health risks, what is the way forward?Storified by The Stream· Tue, Jun 18 2013 09:38:08Cousin or "consanguineous" marriage is defined as a union between two individuals who share a close relative. This can include great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. The map below shows the distribution of these marriages across the world.Percentage of consanguineous marriage in the worldAJstreamCousin marriage has been widely practiced for thousands of years in the Middle East, Africa and parts of South Asia. It has served as a means of securing relationships between tribes and preserving family wealth. Despite its long history, many critics argue that the practice should be stopped due to health problems that can arise in children. @AJStream In society we must be aware that marrying cousins don't become the norm as health risks can outweigh any other potential benefits!Neslihan KurosawaWas reading about cousin marriage in the Pakistani community. Cannot believe how rife it is & the scale of problems it causes.Mandy BhariIn the United States, cousin marriages are illegal in 25 states, as illustrated in the infographic below. The US is the only Western country with cousin marriage restrictions. nytimes.comIn Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, at least half of the population practices cousin marriage. These Gulf nations have made pre-marital medical tests mandatory in an effort to reduce genetic diseases, as shown in the Al Jazeera English report below.Gulf states concerned over inter-family marriagealjazeeraenglishSome believe the risks of cousin marriage have been greatly exaggerated or simplified.@AJStream I say exaggerated. While marrying your first/second cousin is weird, I have come across many such happy and healthy families.~ritchelle coutinho~IMO, Cousin marriages are incredibly demonized. There's only a 5-6% added chance of any genetic abnormalities, and that's with first cousins. Second cousins have barely any added risks for complications.noxcovenant From a biological standpoint, the problem is not a cousin marrying a cousin. It is generations of first cousins marrying first cousins. Rare and debilitating genetic disorders are unlikely to surface in one instance of cousin match, but repeated breeding within such a close genetic pool makes it a real danger.Elizabeth ScottOne Tumblr user wrote that there is also a need for education to eliminate the stigma associated with cousin marriage.tumblr.comAnother user disputed any moral issues with cousin marriage.There is nothing intrinsically amoral about having sex with, falling in love with, and marrying your cousin. And if you have a reaction to it like, “But it’s just gross!” I think you need to reconsider where that emotion comes from.tumblr.comYou want to marry your best friend right? And a lot of people grow up and marry childhood friends, mostly children of your parents friends but if you parents friends are their siblings of course you’ll grow up with your cousin.tumblr.comSome pointed out that cousin marriage has been widely recorded, both in religous texts and in modern times.Cousin marriage is abominable? By whose mores? It's documented in the Bible, as well as other texts.Proteas & MagnoliasAlbert Einstein married his first cousin...crotchettheleper.tumblr.comThough some neitizens said they would not marry their cousins, they recognise that others should have the right to choose who they marry.You know, I would never marry my cousin personally, but people consenting adults should have the right to be married to whomever they please. Also, as a West Virginian, I'm disappointed my state doesn't allow what it is notorious for.Augrills@AJStream It shouldn't be unnecessarily encouraged and promoted, but if 2 cousins happen to fall in love, they should be allowed to marryسلمىIf marriage is a right & states can't prohibit it under 10th amendment, I assume all laws banning 1st cousin marriage should be struck?Jay Caruso