'Born retarded': Pakistanis responsible for 33% of birth defects in UK due to cousin marriages, claims viral post
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Children of first cousins had an 11% chance of being diagnosed with speech and language issues, compared to 7% for those whose parents are unrelated.
They had a 54% chance of reaching a "good stage of development" by age five, compared to 64% for children of non-related parents.
Around 60% of cousin marriages in 2007–2010
Declining to 46% by 2016–2019
UK-wide, Pakistanis are associated with around 30–33% of genetic birth defects, according to NHS and academic data.
A viral social media post by far-right activist Tommy Robinson has reignited a contentious debate over cousin marriage practices within the British Pakistani community. The post features a video of Robinson citing controversial statistics and calling for a nationwide ban on cousin marriage in the UK, drawing both support and strong criticism online.In the video, Robinson claims that 76% of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins and alleges that British Pakistanis—who make up around 3% of the UK population—account for 33% of birth defects in the country. He argues that this is a significant burden on the UK's healthcare system and attributes the cultural norm to historical Islamic practices.Robinson goes further to call cousin marriage 'never right' and urges the British government to ban the practice outright. His comments have been widely condemned as inflammatory and racist by critics across social media.The post has divided public opinion. Some users expressed concern over the potential genetic and economic impacts of consanguineous marriage . Others accused Robinson of distorting facts to promote a xenophobic agenda.'This is a mix of distorted stats and open racism... If the concern is public health, fine. Focus on education and awareness, not hate,' said one user on X (formerly Twitter).While cousin marriage is legal in the UK, public health experts acknowledge the increased risk of genetic disorders in children born to first cousins. A BBC report from February, citing a Bradford-based study, found that:The Grok AI fact-checker notes that the 76% figure cited by Robinson is likely exaggerated, referencing the Born in Bradford study , which reported:Cousin marriage is a long-standing tradition in many parts of South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Within the UK, it's more common among immigrant communities, particularly British Pakistanis , as part of efforts to preserve wealth, property, and family ties.However, critics argue that blaming a single ethnic or religious group for public health burdens oversimplifies the issue. Other key factors—like poverty, lack of healthcare access, and systemic inequality—also play a significant role.A 2022 DW article cited a 2017 report linking Pakistan's high rate of genetic mutations to its 'heterogenous composition' and deeply entrenched tribal and caste systems, which encourage inter-family marriages. Over 1,000 mutations across 130 genetic disorders have been documented in Pakistan to date.
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