UK Minister warns of inbreeding in British Pakistanis

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

UK Minister warns of inbreeding in British Pakistanis

Maybe we can look forward to a British remake of the old American classic movie "Deliverance"? A canoe trip down the Thames and the strange natives with quaint customs encountered along the way?

but they'll have to replace that one line about "squeal like a pig for me" in the remake.

[PlatyPius 5]

Yes, post an article like this about Muslims and/or people from the Middle East and people accuse you of racism, religious intolerance, or just plain making stuff up.

Post something similar, however, about poor rural Americans doing the same thing, and it's all well and good.

Gupt/Agent Smith/Troll posts controversial news articles that lead to thought and discussion. There's only one idiot here, and it ain't him.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

BTW - the original title says Muslims. I changed 'Muslims' to 'British Pakistanis' because that was the actual focus of the article.

FWIW.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

From the BBC:

Birth defects warning sparks row

A minister who warned about birth defects among children of first cousin marriages in Britain's Asian community has sparked anger among critics.

...

The claims infuriated the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC) which called on the prime minister to "sack him".

MPAC spokesman Asghar Bukhari said Mr Woolas' comments "verged on Islamophobia".

...

Mr Bukhari told BBC News: "After his comments, MPAC UK is asking will Prime Minister Gordon Brown back him or sack him.

...

However, Mr Woolas was defended by cabinet minister Geoff Hoon who said expert analysis was needed on the extent of the problem.

...

Research for BBC2's Newsnight in November 2005 showed British Pakistanis accounted for 3.4% of all births but have 30% of all British children with "recessive disorders".

[Amby 490]

I told Neil about this and he said that the parents of a friend of his from primary school were closely related (he didn't remember exactly how) but they had 8 kids and almost every single one of them had a some sort of birth defect. The one his age was born with 6 fingers on each hand. A few of the others had learning disabilities (mainly ADD) and one had down syndrome.

forgot to add that this family is pakistani

Edited February 10, 2008 by Amber&Neil

[peejay 327]

UK Minister warns of inbreeding in British Pakistanis

Maybe we can look forward to a British remake of the old American classic movie "Deliverance"? A canoe trip down the Thames and the strange natives with quaint customs encountered along the way?

but they'll have to replace that one line about "squeal like a pig for me" in the remake.

Ha-ha! That's a good one! I forgot that pork was verboten.

Maybe the writers can change it to a more culturally fitting goat or a camel. They always change stuff in the remakes anyway.

[frustrated1 0]

wow, quite the discussion since yesterday!

attacks on VJ Troll are unjustified; he only posted the article like he does everything else.

Unfortunately, such articles are not supported by global statistics like % of babies born with birth defects compared with % of such that have first cousin parents. There are numerous causes of birth defects and my understanding is that through several generations of marrying within the same blood 'MAY' be 'ONE' of the causes.

Most people are not familiar with the cultural nuances of other cultures and only get to hear the bad and the ugly. here are some other examples like:

1- the orthodox hindus practise 'satee' -- burning of widows with their husbands

2- chinese terminate female pregnancies

3- mormons practise polygamy

4- eastern cultures have arranged marriages

5- muslim women forced to cover their hair

etc, etc, etc

I think we have to be careful with painting any one nation with one brush.

[britty 1]

I understand that marrying family members is a cultural issue, however, as long as those couples are aware that any children resulting from that marriage, may have birth defects or fetal abnormalities, I think it is their decision to make.

[panamania79 2]

UK Minister warns of inbreeding in British Pakistanis

Maybe we can look forward to a British remake of the old American classic movie "Deliverance"? A canoe trip down the Thames and the strange natives with quaint customs encountered along the way?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Noticeably, the MPAC's head is named Bukhari--implying he's probably related to India's chopfrack prominent mullah family (and Bukhari is Uzbek for "chopfrack" anyway).

[simple_male 1]

The whole problem with this kind of thing is that the public at large seem to be extremely ignorant about cultural differences, especially when the media gets involved and loaded phrases like "medieval" are used to describe them.

If anyone hasn't been following it - the Archbishop of Canterbury is facing calls for his resignation following comments made about Sharia law. Comments, taken out of context - because people hear the word Sharia and (again thanks to the media coverage) instantly conjure up images of the flogging, stoning and limb amputations which take place in parts of the ME. Nowhere in what Rowan Williams said was he talking about establishing a parallel judicial system, arbitration of family "civil" law has absolutely nothing to do with the judicial process for criminal offences.

Yes, I agree. I also know some who married first cousins and their children have no birth defects. This practice is not only common among Pakistanis, but also with other nationalities. Hafiz should not have written what he wrote. I am sure, he loves Pakistan and he did not like seeing "British Pakistanis" in the headlines.

[garya505 2]

There's a lot of misinformation and ignorance about first cousin marriages. Normally it's not a problem, unless you already have a genetic defect within the family genes. Anecdotal stories aside, a first cousin marraige in itself will not create a defective gene. If the defective gene is already there however, well you could have a problem.

[panamania79 2]

UK Minister warns of inbreeding in British Pakistanis

Maybe we can look forward to a British remake of the old American classic movie "Deliverance"? A canoe trip down the Thames and the strange natives with quaint customs encountered along the way?

After I stopped laughing,I just kept wondering how it would sound.Would it be banjo or violin music ?

[PlatyPius 5]

I wish Mags would pop in here and give her opinion, since this is what she did in England - cytogenetics.

Guess I'll have to yell down the stairs at her. lol

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

I wish Mags would pop in here and give her opinion, since this is what she did in England - cytogenetics.

Guess I'll have to yell down the stairs at her. lol

that's a change of pace, usually she's yelling down the stairs at you about something you said in vj