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It's extremely common in South Asian communities (https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/10yx3va/rate_of_cousin_marriages_in_south_asiapakistan/ ht

It's extremely common in South Asian communities (https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/10yx3va/rate_of_cousin_marriages_in_south_asiapakistan/ https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/10yx3va/...). The UK has a large South Asian diaspora.

thelastgallon 1y ago
Pakistan doesn't represent all of South Asia.
- 0xcafefood 1y ago
  None of India is looking particularly good, but each state in southern India looks to have 20-25% rates of first-cousin marriages. Pretty high.
  - lazide 1y ago
    Southern India it’s even higher
  - jandrese 1y ago
    The crazy thing is India has ample population to avoid this problem. It's not some isolated tribe or small island community. The reasons have to be social/political.
    - lazide 1y ago
      It’s the caste system + specific social factors.
dismalaf 1y ago
You mean it's extremely common in Muslim countries. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_in_the_Middle_East https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_in_the_Middl... I love this site down voting facts if it doesn't conform to preconceived "progressive" notions. https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Cousin_Marriage_in_Islamic_Law https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Cousin_Marriage_in_Islamic_Law
- 0xcafefood 1y ago
  Seems so. Or more to the point of how data collected in the UK might reflect this trend (from the article you link): "According to a 2005 BBC report on Pakistani marriage in the United Kingdom, 55% of British Pakistanis marry a first cousin."
  - secondcoming 1y ago
    There was a recent debate in the UK Parliament about whether cousin marriage should be banned. It did not succeed. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztHyjdyWUOA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztHyjdyWUOA
    - mnw21cam 1y ago
      But there was a BBC documentary called "Should I marry my first cousin" for which the main conclusion was basically no.
bakul 1y ago
AFAIK this is far more common in muslims but not in hindus, jains etc. While growing up I had heard/read that as per the Vedas you can not marry someone with whom you have a common ancestor within 7 generations. [My scientifically minded atheist parents agreed with the idea.] Of course, in practice this isn't always followed but in any arranged marriage such proscriptions would presumably be checked.
- lazide 1y ago
  Southern India has particularly low Muslim populations - and definitely doesn’t follow that guidance. The vedas have many sections which get widely ignored. Edit: HN throttling is terrible. Here is a link to a couple studies [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32641190/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32641190/], [https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Trends-in-consanguineous-marriages-in-states-of-South-India_tbl1_351228898 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Trends-in-consanguineous...] AP has the highest rate, around 28%
  - bakul 1y ago
    I has asked friends who would know more about South India. If you have any references about statistics and causes please share. Thanks!
    - bakul 1y ago
      I found one map that may be interest: https://araingang.medium.com/cousin-marriage-in-south-asia-fc83f9a6e912 https://araingang.medium.com/cousin-marriage-in-south-asia-f... But note that the article is really talking about first-degree incest/pedophila/sexual abuse which is taboo in pretty much every society.
- abhinavk 1y ago
  Cross-cousin and uncle-niece marriage is prevalent among Hindus in most states of South India (except Kerala). 10-25% of all marriages. In religion, you can find your reasons for anything. e.g. In Mahabharata, Arjuna and Abhimanyu married their cousins.

thelastgallon 1y ago

Pakistan doesn't represent all of South Asia.

0xcafefood 1y ago
None of India is looking particularly good, but each state in southern India looks to have 20-25% rates of first-cousin marriages. Pretty high.
- lazide 1y ago
  Southern India it’s even higher
- jandrese 1y ago
  The crazy thing is India has ample population to avoid this problem. It's not some isolated tribe or small island community. The reasons have to be social/political.
  - lazide 1y ago
    It’s the caste system + specific social factors.

dismalaf 1y ago

You mean it's extremely common in Muslim countries. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_in_the_Middle_East https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_in_the_Middl... I love this site down voting facts if it doesn't conform to preconceived "progressive" notions. https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Cousin_Marriage_in_Islamic_Law https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Cousin_Marriage_in_Islamic_Law

0xcafefood 1y ago
Seems so. Or more to the point of how data collected in the UK might reflect this trend (from the article you link): "According to a 2005 BBC report on Pakistani marriage in the United Kingdom, 55% of British Pakistanis marry a first cousin."
- secondcoming 1y ago
  There was a recent debate in the UK Parliament about whether cousin marriage should be banned. It did not succeed. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztHyjdyWUOA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztHyjdyWUOA
  - mnw21cam 1y ago
    But there was a BBC documentary called "Should I marry my first cousin" for which the main conclusion was basically no.

bakul 1y ago

AFAIK this is far more common in muslims but not in hindus, jains etc. While growing up I had heard/read that as per the Vedas you can not marry someone with whom you have a common ancestor within 7 generations. [My scientifically minded atheist parents agreed with the idea.] Of course, in practice this isn't always followed but in any arranged marriage such proscriptions would presumably be checked.

lazide 1y ago
Southern India has particularly low Muslim populations - and definitely doesn’t follow that guidance. The vedas have many sections which get widely ignored. Edit: HN throttling is terrible. Here is a link to a couple studies [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32641190/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32641190/], [https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Trends-in-consanguineous-marriages-in-states-of-South-India_tbl1_351228898 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Trends-in-consanguineous...] AP has the highest rate, around 28%
- bakul 1y ago
  I has asked friends who would know more about South India. If you have any references about statistics and causes please share. Thanks!
  - bakul 1y ago
    I found one map that may be interest: https://araingang.medium.com/cousin-marriage-in-south-asia-fc83f9a6e912 https://araingang.medium.com/cousin-marriage-in-south-asia-f... But note that the article is really talking about first-degree incest/pedophila/sexual abuse which is taboo in pretty much every society.
abhinavk 1y ago
Cross-cousin and uncle-niece marriage is prevalent among Hindus in most states of South India (except Kerala). 10-25% of all marriages. In religion, you can find your reasons for anything. e.g. In Mahabharata, Arjuna and Abhimanyu married their cousins.