Phil Woolas should not become collateral damage in the Sharia row

sebastian

"Woolas was identifying a problem that is real and did so in measured tones." Absolutely so. He was talking very sensibly about what could be seen as a public health issue and one of perfectly proper, common interest. And what do we get from the Religion of Peace and Tolerance? Demands for his sacking. Not for the first time have muslim representatives scored an own goal and confirmed yet again the very unflattering things we increasingly say about them. Coming in the present anguished atmosphere that Rowan Williams has stirred up, this own goal is one of muslims' best, I'd say. Any collateral damage is to their own side, surely. At least, I hope so.

Torymory

Other groups with 1st cousin marriages over many generations suffer from genetic illnesses – European royalty (Porphyria, Haemophilia) and the Amish community in the USA. Rickets used to be a major problem with immigrants from the Indian sub continent – whose diet (unfortified) was not suited to the wet, dull, UK climate. After acknowledgment of the problem by health care professionals and the communities affected, rickets is no longer the problem it was. Surely it would be racist not to care that so many children (and their families) with Pakistani backgrounds are suffering from avoidable genetic illnesses. Phil Woolas and Anne Cryer are being attacked for telling the truth and caring about their constituents.

AppalledofLondon

I'm very glad that Phil Woolas said what he did; Ann Cryer has been saying the same thing for years and has been ignored. It is about time we talked about these issues: if we do not describe them as they are (not as we would wish them to be) we will never be able to deal with them properly. I would add that this problem is not the only matter which the Pakistani / Muslim community is in denial about. We need to address these cultural practices which cause pain to those involved and for which we are expected to pay.

verity

I, too, commend Phil Woolas for speaking out about this endemic problem among Pakistanis, especially at this moment when he has the big mo' behind him thanks to Canterbury. I read this weekend that more than half the children in "special schools" are Pakistani. One-third of birth defects in newborns in Britain are derived from Pakistani parents who are also first cousins - which is an absurd waste of the British taxpayers' money because these defects are avoidable. Yet many of them are incurable and these individuals will be severely disabled for their whole lives. This is a costly, avoidable habit and its prevalence should occasion a law. Anne Cryer has been trying to get a law against first cousin marriages passed for years, but British MPs are frit. She'a a very brave woman, given that she represents a largely islamic constituency. Good for Phil Woolas for bringing the problem out of the closet at this particular moment in time. Well judged!

David Lindsay

It is not racist, but the very reverse, to object to marriage between first cousins. But I am not sure why there is suddenly so much fuss about State-sponsored polygamy, as if it were anything new. At least seven years ago, when I was working in the field of benefits, we were told about those payable in relation to “polygamous partners”. I have referred to the matter on my blog several times.

Oscar Miller

Worth mentioning too is the massive project to stamp out Tay Sachs which is a horrific (and terminal) genetic disorder that nearly exclusively affects Ashkenazi Jews. Due to the implementation of a massive and rigorous screening programme Tay Sachs has been virtually eradicated. The programme has been hailed as "one of the first great successes of the emerging field of genetic counseling and diagnosis". Phil Woolas should be commended.

Max Kaye

It would seem that by their words and actions many members of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee are closely related.

DB

Jokes about inbreeding are a staple of Radio 4's News Quiz. Yokels, the royals and US rednecks are all regular targets, but I doubt Jeremy Hardy and his fellow lefties will taking the piss this week.