On January 6th The Review of Religions had an article comparing the risks of cousin marriage to other pregnancy risks showing that a ban is not justified.
Cousin marriages have existed throughout history in the UK (the Royal Family no less) and throughout the world. Across many different religions, including Islam, marriages between cousins are permitted and occur, provided there is interest and consent among the couple. In a free society, particularly one that is referred to as ‘modern British society’, is it really the role of the state to be involved in who people should marry and beyond that, who should be allowed to have children? Are cousin marriages a threat to ‘women’s freedom’, as MP Holden remarked, or the proposed policing by the state?
The evidence shows that the potential risks of birth defects from cousin parents can be less than other risk factors (such as age of parents). Even so, such correlated risk factors are magnitudes less in comparison to the causative and extremely damaging effects of alcohol to children in-utero – the leading cause of birth defects. In short, the proposed marriage ban has little justification based on science and it raises ethical and moral dilemmas about the role of the government on private matters of families and couples.
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