British Geneticist Notes that Consanguinamory is Not Rare

Professor Steve Jones, a British geneticist, has stirred up some controversy by warning about Muslims (and others) who marry and have children with close relatives.

The geneticist said that it was common in the Islamic world for men to marry their nieces and cousins.

He said that Bradford has a particular problem and warned that it could affect the health of children born into these marriages.

Could. Could. That means that no, cousin-cousin or uncle-niece marriage does not, as too many people believe, automatically result in birth defects. In fact, parent-child offspring and sibling-sibling offspring are often healthy.

“It is common in the Islamic world to marry your brother’s daughter, which is actually closer than marrying your cousin.

“We should be concerned about that as there can be a lot of hidden genetic damage. Children are much more likely to get two copies of a damaged gene.”

They are also more likely to get two copies of an advantageous gene.

Studies have found that within the city, more than 70 per cent of marriages are between relations, with more than half involving first cousins.

Sounds like there’s much consanguinamory.

Prof Jones also said that incest was more common than is often realised in every part of society, adding that it had been particular prevalent among royalty and suggested it is still continuing.

This is nothing new. From royalty to commoners, from the urban to the rural, everything from youthful experimentation to lifelong spousal relationships have been going on between close relatives for all of human history.