In case you are wondering, no, I did not invent this title. “Why is incest more endemic in Muslim families?” is a question posed by a Muslim blogger on Malaysiakini.
Dato’ Dr Narimah Awin claims to be a “good” Muslim. He questioned why the authorities are more concerned about banning alcohol than tackling the problem of incest. He said: “This is a more serious ill that we need to address, and it does not involve religious sensitivities, therefore it would be ‘easier’ to combat”.
When a “good” practising Muslim man made such a profound statement, it deserves some attention. I wondered if it is true that incest are more endemic in Muslim families. So I did some quick research.
We often think of incest as involving parents and children. However the definition of incest is broader than that. Incest refers to any sexual activity between closely related persons (often within the immediate family) that is illegal or a social taboo. This will cover incest involving cousins as well.
It is said that in Iraq nearly half of all married couples are first or second cousins to each other. Various studies in Baghdad concluded that around 50% of the people surveyed wed to a first or second cousin. This is not perculiar to Iraq. The same situation exists in much of the region around Iraq. The most prominent example of an Iraqi first cousin marriage is that of Saddam Hussein and his first wife Sajida.
Is Dato’ Dr Narimah Awin right in saying that incest among Muslim families is a more serious ill that needs to be addressed? But what is the solution? Think about it.
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