Couple defend first-cousin marriages amid ban call

(BBC) Family life is busy for Israr Hussain and his wife, Tasleem Akhtar, who have four daughters between the ages of five and 15.

They chose to have their wedding back home in Pakistan in 2007 and live in Birmingham.

The 47-year-olds are not only husband and wife, but also first cousins, as both of their fathers are brothers.

Marrying a first cousin is a feature of many communities across the world. It is about protecting wealth, land and property and helps keep the family together.

While marriage between first cousins is not illegal in the UK, medical experts say it can cause genetic diseases in the children they may bear.

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