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2008-02-11 Britain
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British Muslims are in 'denial' over inbreeding birth defects, says second Labour MP
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 A second MP has waded into the controversial debate over increased birth defects in British Muslims as a result of inbreeding and claims parts of the Pakistani community are in "denial".
| The genetic difference between your first cousin and your half sister is somewhere between negligible and none. |
Labour's Ann Cryer, who represents Keighley in West Yorkshire, called for community leaders to encourage talks that she believed would move more families away from marriages between cousins. Her call for debate followed comments from Environment Minister Phil Woolas who said there was a "duty" to raise the issue, which was not being addressed. He insisted that the marriages - which are legal in the UK - were a cultural, not a religious, issue based in the traditions of rural parts of Pakistan. His comments were backed by Chief Whip Geoff Hoon who said there was a "particular problem" that needed expert analysis.
Today Ms Cryer backed the debate that had been started on the issue. She called on community leaders to increase awareness and claimed that the "vast majority" of trans-continental marriages in Bradford were between cousins and these could have "tragic" impacts. She first raised the issue more than two years ago after research showed British Pakistanis were 13 times more likely to have children with recessive disorders than the general population.
Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University College London, backed the calls to raise public awareness and said in general mortality and disability almost doubled among cousin marriages. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Ms Cryer said: "The vast majority of marriages in the Muslim community in Bradford, 80% are trans-continental."The vast majority of those are to cousins. Many of those do result in either infant mortality or in recessive disorders."
Asked if the problem was recognised in the British Pakistani community she said: "They are in denial at the moment.
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Posted by tipper 2008-02-11 09:02||
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Posted by anonymous5089 2008-02-11 09:11||
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Posted by gorb 2008-02-11 09:16||
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Posted by Fred 2008-02-11 12:28||
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