An independent MP today spoke out against a proposed ban on first cousins being able to marry in Britain.
Iqbal Mohamed, MP for Dewsbury and Batley, told the House of Commons that many people view family intermarriage as 'very positive'.
He said it was seen as something that could help 'build family bonds' and put families on a more secure financial foothold'.
Mr Mohamed admitted there were 'health risks' for the children of such marriages.
Mr Mohamed spoke out against Tory MP Richard Holden's efforts to bring in new legislation to prohibit the marriage of first cousins.
The former Conservative Party chairman this afternoon introduced his Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill to the Commons via a ten-minute rule motion.
Iqbal Mohamed, MP for Dewsbury and Batley, told the House of Commons that many people view family intermarriage as 'very positive'
Mr Mohamed spoke out against Tory MP Richard Holden's efforts to bring in new legislation to prohibit the marriage of first cousins
Mr Holden told MPs: 'Members across the House may wonder why first-cousin marriage is not already illegal.
'In fact many in this House and in the country may already think it is. And that is understandable.'
The MP for Basildon and Billericay added that laws on first-cousin marriage had been left 'unchanged' since the reign of Henry VIII.
He warned there had been a 'worrying trend' of an increased rate of cousins marrying among some communities in Britain.
Mr Holden outlined 'health, freedom and our national values' as three areas of concern over family intermarriage in the UK.
He urged the Labour Government to look as his Bill as a 'vehicle for positive change in our country', adding: 'Because, in the end, it's about more than one marriage - it's about the values and foundations of our society and our democracy.'
Mr Mohamed, who is part of the Independent Alliance of MPs - including ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, agreed there were 'documented health risks with first-cousin marriage'.
He also spoke of the need to prevent so-called 'virginity testing' and forced marriages, adding the 'freedom of women must be protected at all times'.
'But for many people that this is a highly sensitive issue .We should step into the shoes of those who are not from the same culture as ours, to better understand why the practice continues to be so widespread.'
'An estimated 35-50 per cent of all sub-Saharan African populations either prefer or accept cousin marriages and it is extremely common in the Middle East and in South Asia.
'Such people see family intermarriage as something that is very positive, something that helps build family bonds, and helps put families on a more secure financial foothold.
'However, as is well documented, it is not without health risks for the children of those relationships.'
'What is needed is advanced genetic test screening for prospective married couples, such as in all Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.
Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: ‘It’s shocking that an MP would defend this revolting practice which is linked to birth defects and abusive relationships. We know this is causing immense harm. It’s shameful Labour won’t back the Bill to stamp it out.’
Existing legislation states the prohibited degrees of relationship for marriage include those to a sibling, parent or child, but not marriages between first cousins.
Professor Rebecca Probert, of Exeter University, explained: ‘Marriage to a first cousin has been legal in England and Wales since the Reformation – largely due to legislation passed to confer validity on Henry VIII’s changing matrimonial choices.’
A nurse of 30 years says 'I can definitely confirm a huge number of genetic problems, kidney issues leading to a need for a transplant, children with a massive increase in health problems and far too many to mention here. I've seen it with my own eyes. It should not be allowed. This is costing our nhs billions.'
If we didn't have FREE health care for this lot it would certainly be a different matter, if they had to pay the cost of medical care themselves.
It doesn't stop at the financial cost of its care, it's the social care costs, the costs to the families as they often end up with multiple disabled children and the cost to the tax payers of carers allowance, disability benefits and universal credit.
Many, many generations of intermarriage compounds the problem and creates a huge burden on the NHS. A national problem which affects quality and efficiency of the health service for us all.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14177851/MP-speaks-AGAINST-proposed-ban-cousins-able-marry-Britain-claims-intermarriage-help-build-family-bonds.html
This map shows rates of consanguineous marriage between cousins, around the world
Bradford city centre. Studies have shown that 55 per cent of British Pakistanis are married to first cousins - and in Bradford, this rises to 75 per cent
Babies of Pakistani and South Asian heritage are disproportionately affected by genetic problems. Pictured: Tahira Naqvi who lost her first baby after marrying a cousin at age 21
Some 55 per cent of Pakistani-heritage couples — like Tahira and her husband in Bradford — are in cousin marriages
Official government figures for England claim cousin marriages are a key factor in an average of two child deaths every week
Azmaht Mahmood, 28, who lives in Nelson, was so ill at 15 months old that he had to have a liver transplant
Baroness Flather, Britain's first Asian woman peer speaks out against marriage among close relatives, saying British-Pakistanis are 13 times more likely to have disabled children, due to intermarriage
The practice of inter-marriage within Muslim communities is leading to children being born with a raft of genetic diseases
Muslims pray at a Mosque in Bradford. A study of the city's Muslim population found that 70 per cent of marriages are between relatives, with more than half between cousins
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