eli5: Why is cousin marriage so common in countries like Pakistan?
In: Other
Pretty much the same reason why it was common in other places throughout history.
It keeps wealth/property within the family. In Pakistan it also plays a role in building the kinds of ties which enable people to gain economic and social advancement.
One reason is to keep the property and resources within the family.
Secondly, dating culture is not that common in Pakistan. Mostly arranged marriages are the norm so people try to marry their children in families they know well enough, and who better do you know than your very own extended family. This indirectly links with the joint family system which is quite common in Pakistan.
Although thankfully the trends are changing, people are reluctant to marry into their extended family now owing to genetic defects.
Cousin marriages, including those between first cousins, are permitted by Islamic law and scriptures and were practiced by Muhammad himself as well as his companions. Muhammad’s practice of cousin marriage, in addition to cementing the legality of the practice, renders the practice a sunnah, or a good deed worthy of commendation,
[source](https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Cousin_Marriage_in_Islamic_Law)
I don’t have the full answer, but one thing you should consider is whether cousin marriage was true across human history and only persists in a few societies in the modern era.
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