Press Releases
............PRESS RELEASE.....30th April 2003............
'Cousin marriage is not harmful
in itself and does not necessarily cause genetic disorders
among children', according to medical experts, the Roman
Catholic Church and Traveller organisations at the launch of a
new position paper today.
The paper, published by the
Traveller Consanguinity Working Group as part of the National
Traveller Health Strategy, reveals as myth the idea that
childhood illness and mortality within the Traveller community
is largely due to inherited disorders.
"A person who
chooses to marry a cousin has both the legal and personal
right to do so," the paper states.
"In the past cousin
marriage has been used to condemn Traveller culture," said
Traveller Rosaleen McDonagh, "And cousin marriage has been
seen as socially and morally wrong. Today we acknowledge there
is little basis for these attitudes."
"In the Western
world there is widespread misinformation and prejudice
concerning cousin marriage," said World Health Organisation
consultant Professor Alan Bittles at the launch. "But cousin
marriage is not harmful in itself and is very common in large
areas of the world, including Africa, the Middle East and Asia
where almost 900 million people live."
Intermarriage
is a cultural norm within the Traveller community and provides
many benefits - strengthening family ties, positive social and
economic reasons and shared understandings.
The
Traveller Consanguinity Working Group was set up in November
2000 and includes representatives from the National Centre for
Medical Genetics, the National Centre for Inherited Metabolic
Disorders, the Roman Catholic Church and representatives of
Traveller organisations amongst others.
ENDS.
