London: A viral video shared by far-right activist Tommy Robinson triggered controversy, after he claimed that British Pakistanis are responsible for one-third of all birth defects in the UK due to "high rates of cousin marriages".
His post, which included inflammatory language such as "born retarded", has drawn criticism from several netizens, who called his remarks racist, divisive and misleading.
Robinson Calls for Cousin Marriage Ban
In the video, Robinson alleges that 76% of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins and claims that despite making up just 3% of the UK population, British Pakistanis account for 33% of birth defects. He also argued that this is placing a disproportionate burden on the national Health Service (NHS) and calls for a nationwide ban on cousin marriage.
“This is never right,” Robinson says in his post, linking the practice to “Islamic traditions” and suggesting that the government must intervene. His comments, however, have been labelled as xenophobic by critics who argue he is weaponising selective data to further an anti-Muslim narrative.
Social Media Users Slam “Racist Dog Whistle”
The video has sparked a wave of reactions across social media platforms, with users accusing Robinson of pushing hate under the guise of public health concern. “This is a mix of distorted stats and open racism… If the concern is public health, fine. Focus on education and awareness, not hate,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).
While some users expressed worry about the genetic risks of consanguineous marriage, many condemned the way Robinson framed the issue. Some also argued that a sensitive topic like genetic health should not be hijacked to vilify a specific community.
