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Why can intrafamilial marriage be common in some communities in the Middle East and South Asia?

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consanguinity (Left) Absence of inbreeding: horizontal lines connect mates, vertical lines connect parents with their child; (right) an inbreeding loop: horizontal bar at top of loop connects brother and sister, all other lines and bars as above

In many communities across the Middle East and South Asia, intrafamilial marriage—most commonly between first cousins—is a long-standing social preference. This practice is often rooted in the desire to maintain family wealth and foster close kinship ties.12

By marrying within the family, resources are kept within the same unit or clan, preventing the transfer of assets to outside parties. Furthermore, such unions allow families to maintain proximity, as neither spouse is required to move away from their extended family network. In some Middle Eastern cultures, for example, the daughter of a paternal uncle is traditionally viewed as an ideal marriage partner, a practice that helps solidify patrilineal bonds.2

While these marriages are ideologically preferred in certain regions, it is important to note that they are not universal within those populations, and many individuals choose not to marry their cousins. From a scientific perspective, such unions increase the probability of offspring inheriting identical alleles from common ancestors, which can raise the risk of genetic disease and childhood defects.123