Cousin marriages, Defective kids: Muslims on target

Cousin marriages have now become a talking point in UK and some other European countries. The claim is that the cousin marriages, common in the muslim community, are responsible for birth defects.

A video posted online featuring UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson has gained widespread attention. In it, he is claiming that cousin marriages within the British Pakistani community are responsible for a large share of birth defects in the UK. The video has triggered intense backlash and debate across social media.

In the video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Robinson claims that “76 percent of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins." He further says that British Pakistanis, who make up around 3% of the UK’s population, account for “33 percent of birth defects." He blames the practice on Islamic history as he claimed that it puts pressure on the country’s healthcare system.

“They are being born and retarded. It’s costing us a fortune. It’s costing the economy a fortune. It’s billions and billions because Muhammad married his cousin. Well, don’t care for what Muhammad did in the seventh century because he was a barbarian wall. It’s no longer right. It’s never been right, and it has to stop in Great Britain," he added.

While many supported him, there was also widespread backlash, with several users calling out the language used and questioning the accuracy of the statistics. One user wrote, “This is a mix of distorted stats and open racism. Yes, cousin marriage can raise risks, but reducing an entire group to slurs like ‘retarded’ is vile. If it’s about health, focus on awareness, not hate." Another comment pointed out, “Stats stated are misrepresented."

Earlier this year, a BBC report shared new data from the Born in Bradford study that tracked over 13,000 children between 2007 and 2010. More than one in six children in the study had parents who are first cousins, mostly from Bradford’s Pakistani community.

Researchers found that children of first cousins had a 6 percent chance of inheriting a recessive disorder compared to 3 percent in the general population. The study also observed speech development, school performance and other early childhood outcomes.

Even after controlling for poverty and parental education, the study found that children of first cousins had an 11 percent chance of being diagnosed with speech or language problems versus 7 percent in other children. They were also less likely to meet key learning milestones by age five.

Researchers also found that a child of first cousins has a 54 percent chance of reaching a “good stage of development," which is a standard assessment given by the UK government to all five-year-olds, compared to 64 percent for children whose parents are not related.

In the UK, cousin marriage is legal but debated. According to the BBC, conservative MP Richard Holden has proposed a bill to outlaw the practice, though the current government has said there are “no plans" to do so. Instead, the UK follows a genetic counselling approach where first-cousin couples are educated about the risks of having children. Meanwhile, countries like Norway have already banned cousin marriage. Sweden plans to follow up next year.