'Bradford is very inbred': Muslim outrage as professor warns first-cousin marriages increase risk of birth defects


By Tom Kelly for the Daily Mail
Updated: 20:06 +10:00, 30 May 2011


Inbreeding among British Muslims is threatening the health of their children, a  leading geneticist warned yesterday.

Professor Steve Jones, from University College London, said the common practice in Islamic communities for cousins to marry each other increased the risk of birth defects.

‘There may be some evidence that cousins marrying one another can be harmful,’ he  told an audience at the Hay Festival.

‘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.

‘Bradford is very inbred. There is a huge amount of cousins marrying each other there.’

Studies have shown that  55 per cent of British Pakistanis are married to first cousins – and in Bradford, this  rises to 75 per cent.
Other research has found that children of first cousins are ten times more likely  to have recessive genetic  disorders and face deafness, blindness and infant mortality.

But Prof Jones’s comments provoked anger among some Muslim groups yesterday.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, which promotes the image of Muslims in Britain, said: ‘I know many Muslims who have married their cousins and none of them have had a problem with their children.

‘Obviously, we don’t want any children to be born disabled who don’t need to be born disabled, so I would advise genetic screening before first cousins marry.

'But I find Steve Jones’s comments unworthy of a professor. Using language like “inbreeding” to describe cousins marrying is completely inappropriate and further demonises Muslims.’

Concern about the risks to children from first-cousin marriage has been described as the last great taboo.

Former environment minister Phil Woolas was rebuked by Downing Street in 2008 for saying British Pakistanis are fuelling rates of birth defects by marrying their cousins, with the spokesman for then prime minister Gordon Brown saying the issue was not one for ministers to comment on.


Mohammed Saleem Khan, chief executive of the Bradford Council for Mosques, said: ‘It is important to discuss these issues, but I just do not know of any firm evidence backing up Professor Jones’s claims. I think we need more conclusive studies so we can know for certain if there is any genuine risk.

‘Marriages between cousins is certainly common within south Asia, but it is becoming less so in Britain and also in Bradford. Islam allows you to marry anyone you want, so in many ways Islam promotes diversity.’
In his talk, Prof Jones said inbreeding was not confined to Muslims, and historically had occurred in every part of society, including the royal family.

He said: ‘We are all more incestuous than we realise. In Northern Ireland lots of people share the same surname, which suggests a high level of inbreeding.

‘There’s a lot of surname diversity in London but if you look at the Outer Hebrides there are rather fewer surnames in relation to the number of people.’

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Maybe the German authorities are onto something by trying to hose down complaints of rape by young Muslims of European girls.

They could be looking ahead with great vision and concluding that the gene pool of a coming Islamised Europe needs to be upgraded anyway.

It's a theory.

Islam allows you to marry anyone you want, so in many ways Islam promotes diversity.’

This guy is in the wrong business. He would be great as a spin doctor in politics.

They are producing an army of mutant jihadis.

I said "Europe" because that's the part of the 21st century western world that is in immediate danger of being swamped by 8th century Islam clambering over the side of the boat.
But in reality it may become a problem for any western country. A health problem essentially.

it doesnt always show up in the first branch..and everyone knows its against nature....or at least they should do...

its Mother Nature taking care of her flock...if it wasnt so wouldnt we all be doing it....especially when it comes to keeping money in the family..

cods wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 5:28pm:

it doesnt always show up in the first branch..and everyone knows its against nature....or at least they should do... its Mother Nature taking care of her flock...if it wasnt so wouldnt we all be doing it....especially when it comes to keeping money in the family..

Who did Adam and Eve's kids mate with, just out of curiosity?

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 6:08pm:

cods wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 5:28pm: it doesnt always show up in the first branch..and everyone knows its against nature....or at least they should do... its Mother Nature taking care of her flock...if it wasnt so wouldnt we all be doing it....especially when it comes to keeping money in the family.. Who did Adam and Eve's kids mate with, just out of curiosity?

Show proof that these 2 people existed.

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 6:08pm:

cods wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 5:28pm: it doesnt always show up in the first branch..and everyone knows its against nature....or at least they should do... its Mother Nature taking care of her flock...if it wasnt so wouldnt we all be doing it....especially when it comes to keeping money in the family.. Who did Adam and Eve's kids mate with, just out of curiosity?

Each other, and this is why we now have muslims.  :(

innocentbystander. wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 6:33pm:

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 6:08pm: cods wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 5:28pm: it doesnt always show up in the first branch..and everyone knows its against nature....or at least they should do... its Mother Nature taking care of her flock...if it wasnt so wouldnt we all be doing it....especially when it comes to keeping money in the family.. Who did Adam and Eve's kids mate with, just out of curiosity? Each other, and this is why we now have ...

... rightards.

We are currently engaged in a world war, a world war this time without guns, only ideology, the left have taken the side of the enemy as they will always do without fail because if the enemy wins the left will be elevated from the position of the lowly bottom rung that they have always inhabited to the rung one rung beneath the invader.

Greggy would much rather succumb to islam to move up the ladder than to engage in hard work to move up, this satisfies his lazy leftist urges, the left and the muslim both believe that stealing is the way to get ahead, not hard work, this is the evolutionary path that they have both taken.

Is this path wrong?, yes and no, its wrong for the victims of the theft but its absolutely right for the thieves, so there are many versions of right and wrong, only evolutionary warfare pressures can decide an outcome and whoever wins that battle is right and those that lose it are wrong.    :)

innocentbystander. wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 7:56pm:

Greggy would much rather succumb to islam...

You've got the wrong person, pet.

I'm no fan of Islam; been saying so for years.

You seem to view things in black & white; binary.

"You're either an Islamophobe, or an Islam lover".

No, it doesn't work like that.

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 8:10pm:

innocentbystander. wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 7:56pm: Greggy would much rather succumb to islam... You've got the wrong person, pet. I'm no fan of Islam; been saying so for years. You seem to view things in black & white; binary. "You're either an Islamophobe, or an Islam lover". No, it doesn't work like that.

Dang, boy, you’re either holdin the rope, or you’re goddamn niggra lover.

You ain’t no niggra, that’s fur sure. What’s your problem, boy?

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 8:10pm:

innocentbystander. wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 7:56pm: Greggy would much rather succumb to islam... You've got the wrong person, pet. I'm no fan of Islam; been saying so for years.

Yet if you had to decide between islam or the right wing you would choose islam every single time, subconsciously you have decided that your lot in life is better served by siding with islam because islam has the same totalitarian outlook as the left, basically islam has replaced communism as the lefts last great white hope to defeat capitalism and enslave the masses.    

innocentbystander. wrote on Jan 20^th, 2016 at 8:45pm:

greggerypeccary wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 8:10pm: innocentbystander. wrote on Jan 20th, 2016 at 7:56pm: Greggy would much rather succumb to islam... You've got the wrong person, pet. I'm no fan of Islam; been saying so for years. Yet if you had to decide between islam or the right wing ...

Chalk and cheese.

I would never, ever choose Islam.

Huraaaa Pakis will collect lots of money from social security for disabled children.