MP defends right to marry your cousin

'Ordinary people see family intermarriage overall as something that is very positive'

Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed spoke in the House of Commons on Tuesday against a ban on first cousin marriages.

He had been responding to Conservative former minister Richard Holden, who introduced his Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill for further consideration in the Commons.

Currently, the law prohibits marriage to a sibling, parent or child. However, marriages between first cousins are not illegal.

Mr Mohamed told the house the topic of first cousin marriage was a "highly sensitive issue" but that it is "extremely common in the Middle East and in South Asia."

The MP for Dewsbury and Batley continued: "The reason the practice is so common is that ordinary people see family intermarriage overall as something that is very positive, something that helps build family bonds and helps put families on a more secure financial foothold."

He went on to acknowledge that there are "well-documented" health risks for "the children of those relationships," and that he issue "needs greater awareness."

The MP suggested that instead of a blanket ban on first cousin marriages, "advanced genetic test screening" should be implemented.

He said: "Instead of stigmatising those who are in cousin marriages, or those inclined to be, a much more positive approach would be to facilitate advanced genetic test screening for prospective married couples, as is the case in all Arab countries in the Persian Gulf."

He added that health education programs should be run "targeting communities where the practice is most common."

Mr Mohamed also spoke of the need to prevent so-called "virginity testing" and forced marriages, and said "freedom of women must be protected at all times."

The topic had been raised by former Tory chairman Holden using the 10-minute rule process, which allows backbench MPs to make the case for a new bill in the Commons with a speech lasting up to 10 minutes.

However, unless these bills have government support, they very rarely become law.

Downing Street has said the medical advice on the risks of first-cousin marriage is clear, but the government does not seemingly have any plans to change the current law, Sky News reports.