7th Century or 21st – It’s time to make a choice

Dec 13, 2024

Islam is not inert, it’s not on pause and it’s practices are certainly not relegated to the 7^th Century. Last week in Parliament, Iqbal Mohamed MP, argued against a bill proposing an amendment to British Law preventing 1^st cousin marriage [1]. Canada is the same – no law preventing 1^st cousin marriage because there has been no need for it in that most people in ‘Western’ countries thought 1^st cousin marriage was relegated to the annals of history in some foreign land but as it happens, it’s not just making a comeback – it never left [1, 2].

Both the UK and Sweden are now, albeit belatedly, attempting to restrict first-cousin marriages. Surprisingly to some, they face opposition arguing that the risks are comparable to other named factors—risks that, notably, are not exacerbated by Islamic law. By this flawed reasoning, why should society take any measures to prevent congenital birth defects at all? [3, 4]

The "Born in Bradford" study observed that children of Pakistani heritage, who constitute a significant portion of the Muslim population in Bradford, exhibited higher rates of congenital anomalies compared to the national average. Specifically, the study found that the rate of congenital anomalies was 305.74 per 10,000 live births in the Pakistani community, compared with a national rate of 165.90 per 10,000. The cost in human suffering, burden on health services and drain on the public purse is beyond measure [5].

First cousin marriage is a common, very common practice in Islam – why – because, as usual, Mohammed did it. Those who defend it say it is cultural, why is it cultural? Because Mohammed did it and whatever Mohammed did is ‘sunnah’ – the example for Muslims to follow. Never mind the fact that first cousin marriage accounts for 30% of the birth defects in England and it’s estimated that at least 55% of British Pakistanis are married to their first cousins. [6]

Mohammed said: “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married, for I will boast of your great numbers before the nations…” (ibn Majah 9:2)

Not only did Mohammed marry his first cousin Zaynab – but she had previously been married to his adopted son Zayd. Before Mohammed, adoption was customary (culture?) but to marry Zaynab – a revelation from Allah was needed. Mohammed said to Zayd:

'Propose marriage to her on my behalf.' Zaid went and said: 'O Zainab, rejoice, for the Messenger of Allah has sent me to you to propose marriage on his behalf.' She said: 'I will not do anything until I consult my Lord.' She went to her prayer place and Qur'an was revealed, then the Messenger of Allah came and entered upon her without any formalities." (Nasai 25:26)

In a timely fashion Allah then revealed to Mohammed via the angel Gabriel:

Koran 33:4 Allah has not made for a man two hearts in his interior. And He has not made your wives whom you declare unlawful your mothers. And he has not made your adopted sons your [true] sons. That is [merely] your saying by your mouths, but Allah says the truth, and He guides to the [right] way.”
Koran 33:37 And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, "Keep your wife and fear Allah ," while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished.

So now Mohammed was free to marry the wife of his adopted son and since then adoption has been forbidden in Islam. This isn’t ‘culture’ – this is Islamic law based on the Koran and Hadith – the sunnah of Mohammed.

Now just because Christ wore sandals Christians don’t consider this part of his ministry and something they must do because he did. What do sandals, beards, or the colour green have to do with religion? – no more does marrying your cousin by any standard other than sharia. But it doesn’t stop there, the 7^th century includes veiling women, marrying 6 yr olds, and slavery – all of which was practiced by Mohammed and continues to be common practice in Islam right up to the present day. Over 6,000 captured Yazidi women would testify to that [7]

Koran 4:24 Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those (captives and slaves) whom your right hands possess. Thus has Allah ordained for you. All others are lawful, provided you seek (them in marriage) with Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) from your property, desiring chastity, not committing illegal sexual intercourse, so with those of whom you have enjoyed sexual relations, give them their Mahr as prescribed; but if after a Mahr is prescribed, you agree mutually (to give more), there is no sin on you. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Here’s an example of a woman in Kuwait, having spoken with several Imams for confirmation, calling for more slaves to be introduced to keep Muslim men from the sin of ‘fornication’ with Muslim women – which is haram (forbidden) – while raping a non-Muslim captive or slave is not [8]

How have Western countries become so hopelessly naïve about Islam and so vulnerable to demands for its accommodation? Their view of it has been relentlessly sanitized and distorted.

Take LinkedIn for example – it’s terms and conditions say that it is unacceptable to write that the Atlantic slave trade did not exist – similarly, I have a 20 yr old Canadian school book which shows a map of the Atlantic slave trade – neither one says anything at all about the Islamic slave trade which began 14 centuries ago, was far more extensive and brutal. The ‘castration of white European non-Muslim slaves was carried out on an industrial scale’ – largely on Slavs, to supply eunuchs that were then ‘trusted’ to guard and protect harems even though the mortality rate could be as high as 90% [9]. Is it any wonder that people don’t even know it existed, that several Islamic countries didn’t introduce laws to prevent slavery until the late 20^th century owing to pressure from non-Islamic countries and that a blind eye often seems to be turned to these laws in any case? – it’s estimated that there are 130,000 slaves in Niger alone [10].

To their great cost, non-Islamic countries have demonstrated no hesitation in condemning their own history and culture, while in an excessive display of humility have failed to criticize the actions of other belief systems and cultures. This has erroneously created the illusion that their own culture is bad while others are good in spite of clear evidence to the contrary. Social censure is liberally applied whenever facts are introduced that conflict with this purposely engineered magical thinking. Tech giants aid and abet in this deceit through censorship of content critical towards Islam even when it is thoroughly referenced with incontrovertible facts. There is nothing ‘tolerant’ in this behaviour, instead they are complicit in the Islamization of formerly tolerant countries.

**Map 1:** World most tolerant and least tolerant countries

This is not the case in Islamic states where it is ‘haram’ – forbidden – to criticize Islam [11].

Koran 33:57 "Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment."

Is it any wonder then that proponents of Islam will often declare how wonderful it is, while Westerners - in a typical display of self-loathing - naively agree and then set about offering ‘equity and inclusion’ courses to thoroughly and unfairly disparage their own.

Back to the subject of 1^st cousin marriage. Canada has no law preventing this or many other practices that are common in other cultures that Canadian law is ill equipped to address.

If we are to accept ‘culture’ as justification for allowing first cousin marriage then we must allow it for female genital cutting (FGM) and other practices that residents of ‘Western’ countries – currently in receipt of millions of migrants – are either completely unaware of, believe to be obsolete, or that magically, simply by taking up residence in a ‘Western’ country these practices would stop. Estimates of FGM worldwide are known to be over 230 million – with data from several countries known to practice it currently unavailable [12, 13]. According to UNICEF “…data shows that the pace of progress to end FGM remains slow, lagging behind population growth…”

**Map 2:** First cousin marriage distribution

“The Middle East has the highest rates of cousin marriage. Saudi Arabia has marriage rates to first or second cousins that may exceed 70 percent. Iraq is estimated to have a rate of 33 percent, and Afghanistan – 30–40 percent.”

Mohammed said: “"Five practices are characteristics of the Fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the moustaches short, clipping the nails, and depilating the hair of the armpits." (Bukhari 77:108)

Fitrah is defined as an innate disposition toward Islamic belief and behaviour – something that everyone, not just Muslims, are born with. (Koran 30:30)

Mohammed’s wife Aisha said “"When the circumcised meets the circumcised, then indeed Ghusl is required. Myself and Allah's Messenger did that, so we performed Ghusl [purification]."

Tradition says that Mohammed himself never had to undergo circumcision because he was born circumcised.

So if Canada and other Western countries hope to remain in the 21^st century their laws need to be amended now – yesterday in fact. There are laws against FGM and polygamous marriage but they are not enforced – no laws against first cousin marriage, or slavery either for that matter. ‘Islamic or Legal Marriages’ are openly advertised and performed [14].

**Image 1**: Price list for Yazidi slaves

Once the West has been sufficiently weakened there will no longer be any reason for Islamic states to appease them. The OIC (largest, wealthy and influential block at the U.N. owing to the ‘ummah’ – the world community of Muslims) subscribes to the Cairo Declaration which clearly states that Islamic law is the underlying principle for human rights – sharia [15, 16]. Sharia cannot be changed, it is firmly grounded in the 7^th century - it is via the introduction of Islamic law such as this, under the guise of ‘culture’ that Western countries become Islamic. And when that happens, 1^st cousin marriage will be the least of our problems.