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Although consanguineous marriage is common in Arab societies, including Qatari society, as it is one of the manifestations of customs, traditions and habits that prevail in society, special emphasis is placed on marriages between cousins, with the purpose of “preserving the family name” in order to consolidate family ties, some people prefer to avoid marriages that start from the fourth generation, that is, marriages with cousins, aunts or cousins, which may be due to common problems in the same family. Disagreements between spouses, leading to conflicts and estrangement, some people prefer to stay away from consanguineous marriages, or to avoid possible hereditary diseases in the family, “which can turn family life into a painful hell”.
Al Arabiya surveyed a number of experts to clarify the relevant content of Islamic law rulings on marriage between close relatives and to clarify the medical community’s views on marriage between close relatives.
D. Hassan Al-Buraiki: It shows the underlying pathology
Dr. Hassan Al-Brekhi, a family reform expert at the Family Counseling Center “Wefaq”, noted that the issue of consanguineous marriage has been well known among Arabs in particular since ancient times and is considered a social phenomenon in today’s society. It is fundamentally linked to customs and traditions that are considered a source of social security and family stability. It is considered a means of maintaining tribal cohesion and social cohesion.
Dr. Al-Buraiki explained that the rates of consanguineous marriage vary between different nationalities and ethnicities, and that these rates are influenced by the customs and religion of each environment. Statistics from some Gulf countries indicate that 50% of the population is married to relatives.
He added: With the development of science in this era, especially genetics, people have clearly realized that marriage between close relatives has many disadvantages to health. Many doctors and embryologists do not approve of marriage between close relatives because it brings risks. Since it increases the possibility of genetic defects and diseases in several generations, some medical studies have shown that the incidence of genetic diseases caused by marriage between close relatives is higher than that of marriage between distant relatives. 37% of hydrocephalus and neonatal neurological diseases are caused by marriage between relatives and multiple pregnancies.
He explained that according to research, consanguineous marriage is a means of revealing potential pathological traits and intensifying them in the offspring, rather than eliminating them and dispersing them, and it can also lead to fewer offspring and infertility. This is because, in addition to the fact that the person may have an infection or poisoning that affects his or her offspring, the minor pathological traits that a person may have will be aggravated by marrying a close relative and become apparent over time.
These studies confirm that 5% to 8% of couples in the world suffer from infertility problems, which have many causes, including marriage between close relatives, and the reason why men choose a female relative is more than 3. 13% of psychological and neurological diseases occur in families. According to these studies, more than 13 million Arab citizens suffer from disabilities, most of which are caused by hereditary diseases, including marriage between relatives. As confirmed by some social studies, the incidence of divorce and marital problems between relatives is higher than that of normal marriages.
Dr. Al-Buraiki continued: Many eugenicists believe that the weakness of the offspring is often due to genetic factors, and the reason for this is that the closer the wife is to the husband, the more obvious the genetic influence will be. Among close relatives, it will be passed on to the offspring. Therefore, some Islamic scholars recommend that wives should not be close to their husbands, which is mentioned by Hafiz ibn Hajar on the authority of Imam Shafi’i, may God have mercy on them both.
D. Tareq Shaaban: One of the causes of childhood disability
Dr. Tariq Shaban, consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, said: “From the customs of some cultures, kinship is prioritized as the basic criterion for marriage, with particular emphasis on the greatest degree of kinship, that is, marrying cousins. Popular traditions indicate that the preferred marriage is an intramural marriage.
He added that consanguineous marriages are considered a remnant of the primitive state of the matriarchal system, if we take into account that the patriarchal society of the ancient Arabs believed that the child inherited the characteristics of his uncle, and it – that is, the uncle – was interested in the characteristics of the son-in-law.
He pointed out that popular culture dictated the fact that whenever a woman married someone from outside her ethnic group, her family’s money would be transferred to someone else (the other party) by way of inheritance after the marriage. Due to the peasant nature of the pre-existing society, land was the main focus of attention.
Although legal and medical regulations do not prohibit marriage between close relatives, caution is called for, as most scientific studies on common genetic diseases, especially hemoglobin (hemoglobin) diseases, metabolic birth defects and common single gene diseases, have confirmed that they are the main cause of many diseases and disabilities in children.
He explained that many scientific studies on consanguineous marriages have shown that the incidence of these diseases and disabilities among children of consanguineous parents is obvious, because the couple lacks medical examinations before marriage, and the chances of consanguineous spouses suffering from these diseases and disabilities are greater. When both parents carry the characteristics that cause the disease, the chances of carrying recessive genetic characteristics. Studies have shown that consanguineous marriages can cause 82 diseases, such as recurrent miscarriages, multiple disabilities, multiple kidney cysts, thalassemia, iron overload, facial and shoulder muscle atrophy, multiple colon tumors, lower birth weight than non-consanguineous marriages, and so on.
Dr. Shaban stressed that each person shares half of the number of genes he carries with his brothers or sisters, a quarter of the number of genes with his uncles and uncles, and the number of genes with his uncles and uncles’ sons and daughters. The recessive genetic factors of one or both parents do not have the ability to express themselves unless combined with similar recessive genetic factors, then the genetic traits they carry together will appear. The baby suffers from related diseases. If a person marries his cousin, aunt, cousin or uncle, and each of them carries the same recessive disease genetic factor, then there is a chance that their children will show this trait, 50% of them will carry this recessive genetic factor without showing any symptoms, and 25% of them will not carry this trait. However, if the degree of relationship is more distant, the probability of similar genes existing is less, and therefore the probability of children developing diseases is less.
He added: “However, there are positive aspects. If one family has good genetic factors that other families do not have, such as beauty, intelligence, strength, longevity and other qualities, then close relatives marrying is better than distant relatives marrying, provided that the marriage between relatives does not last too long. Families in one generation will not become closed small communities, which has been shown to be genetically harmful.”
D. Fouad Al-Shaaban: We are working to explore the relationship between incestuous marriage and autism
While marriages between close relatives are still “blamed” for increasing the chances of developing autism spectrum disorders, the findings of a study conducted by the Qatar Institute for Biomedical Research, affiliated with Hamad bin Khalifa University, challenge the assumption that such marriages contribute to the spread of autism spectrum disorders, confirming that the common belief about the link between marriages between close relatives and children developing autism spectrum disorders is false, unfounded, and irrelevant to science.
The study, led by scientists and researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Medical Foundation and Oregon Health & Science University, was based on information from the Qatar National Registry and the Autism Population Survey at the Qatar Center for Neurological Disorders. The Qatar Biomedical Research Center and his team examined 891 children with and without autism spectrum disorder and found no significant association between parental consanguinity and autism risk.
The study’s findings, based on a large sample and robust research methods, contradict previous research on consanguineous marriage as a causal factor in autism, a finding that challenges the current narrative and highlights the need for more research to understand the complex factors that contribute to the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders.
More accurate diagnosis
“This study not only challenges common perceptions, but also highlights the importance of evidence-based research in shaping our understanding of complex medical conditions such as autism spectrum disorder,” said lead researcher Dr. Fouad Al-Shaaban from the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, noting that as the scientific community continues to uncover the symptoms and causes of autism, studies such as this pave the way for more accurate diagnoses, effective interventions, and enhanced support systems for individuals and families affected by the condition. He added: “We believe that our findings have sparked interest among scientists worldwide, which will facilitate further research and exploration of the relationship between relatives and autism spectrum disorder in other populations.”
Notably, the Qatar Institute for Biomedical Research is the leading research institute of Hamad bin Khalifa University, which aims to address the national health priorities of the State of Qatar, which are incorporated into the Qatar National Research Strategy, through its specialized research centers: Applied Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Diabetes Research Center, and Center for Neurological Diseases.
D. Mahmoud Abu Mati: There is no explicit prohibition… one chooses the most capable person religiously and morally
Shaykh preacher, professor of comparative law, former member of the Fatwa Bureau, Dr. Mahmoud Abdul Aziz Abu Mati said: The permissibility of marriage of the daughter of an aunt, the daughter of an uncle, the daughter of an aunt or the daughter of an aunt, or the daughter of an aunt, must be considered a well-known matter in Islam, as for the most distant relatives reported in the reports of the proposal to marry, not relatives, all of this was not confirmed by the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, on the contrary, he proved that a person has chosen the most qualified religion and morality.
Dr. Abu Al-Maati added: “The medical claim that inbreeding is the cause of many diseases requires evidence. In fact, many doctors have refuted this rumor and downplayed it.
Dr. Abu Al-Maati referred to what Dr. Muhammad Al-Bar said in this regard: What we call recessive genetic diseases are present in the husband and in the wife, and neither of them seems to have these diseases. Diseases increase with consanguineous marriages, and the percentage of genetic diseases that persist from one generation to another. In society, the percentage of newborns born with malformations does not exceed 2%, it is about 2-3%, that is, there is an increase between 3% and 4%, but not much.
He went on to say that Islam does not explicitly prohibit marriage between close relatives nor encourage people to choose the marriage that suits them best, and perhaps this approach confirms the conclusion of modern medicine on this issue, that marriage between close relatives is OK. It is not harmful in all aspects, but it is beneficial in cases where there is a high proportion of intelligence, beauty and strength in the family. Therefore, to say that all marriages between relatives are harmful, despite being permitted by Islam, is a statement that lacks scientific validity.
Dr. Abu Muadi said in his Hadith: There is no real scripture or Hadith that prohibits marriage between relatives, but the legal evidence is contrary to this, and Allah Almighty said: (O Prophet, We have indeed made you legal. The wages you give to your wife and everything that your right hand possesses … May God bless you and your cousins and the daughters of your aunts, the daughters of your uncles, and the daughters of your aunts who immigrated with you) verse. .. Al-Ahzab/50. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married Zainab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her, she was the daughter of his aunt, and he married his daughter Fatima to his cousin Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with her both, which shows that there is nothing wrong with marriage between relatives. According to this, it is not correct to prohibit marriage between close relatives, or to say that it is the cause of the spread of diseases, or the existence of a deformed, diseased generation.
He pointed out that there may be some reason in the marriage of relatives or others that leads to such a thing, but it is not a general phenomenon, but in a few or rare cases. There is no doubt that the principle is permissible and permissible. In fact, our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had an example in marrying his daughter Ali, and it was greater than an example, may God be pleased with them. She was the daughter of his cousin, they were relatives, this is certainly beyond doubt, no one said that this is not allowed, but, in my opinion, these are specific issues. As for the whole rule: preventing close relatives from marrying, it is not allowed, and the jurists have a saying similar to this, as they say: marrying a close relative is more patient, and distant relatives are more likely to have children. As the saying goes: marrying a relative is more patient; because she is usually very patient and tolerant, and preserving family affection and maintaining family affection makes her tolerant, and giving birth to a child from a stranger means that the child is more likely to be born.
He added: Ibn Umar also ordered separation, meaning marrying a woman from a distant place. In any case, there is no doubt that the principle is permissible, but if there is a special problem, that is, if there is indeed a specific disease or a specific condition that is feared, as if there is a specific disease. family, such as a hereditary disease: then this is another matter. There is no doubt that modern science has reached the goal that the ancients did not reach, and things perceived through the senses or things perceived through something, provided that they are actually certain non-speculative standards, there is no objection to adopting them.
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