By: Nicolai Sennels, psychologist

It is well known that inbreeding among Muslims are wide spread and pose a serious risk to the childrens’ IQ and mental and physical health. At least 25 percent of Turks, 45 percent of the Arabs and 70 percent of Pakistanis are born from blood-related parents, typically first-cousin marriages (often through many generations).

The religiously sanctioned practise of inbreeding is not the only a danger to Muslims’ intelligence and mental and physical health. Islamic fasting, Ramadan, is also potentially harmful for the offspring’s cognitive abilities, as research concludes that the risk of low IQ-problems almost doubles if the mother fasts during the first periode of her pregnancy. It increases the risk of adult disability with 20 percent.

Islamic fasting during pregnancy is “the norm”

Islamic scholars differ in their view on fasting during pregnancy. The most common opinion seems to be that if the mother fear for her child, she should delay the fasting until after birth.

But the risk of harming one’s unborn child is not the only fear, many Muslim mothers have. Pregnant Muslim mothers also have responsibility for preserving family honor and may also not feel strong enough to be the only fasting person in the family, once she has given birth and has to make up for the missed fasting days.

In spite of any possible religious and medical advises, research show that a majority of Muslim women fast during pregnancy, as summarized by Douglas Almond and Bhashkar Mazumder:

“Pregnant women who request an exemption from fasting are expected to ‘make up’ for the fasting days missed during pregnancy after delivery. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this may discourage pregnant women from seeking the exemption since they may be the only member of the household fasting [Hoskins, 1992, Mirghani et al., 2004].1 Mirghani et al. [2004] noted: ‘Most opt to fast with their families rather than doing this later’:636.

In addition, some Muslims interpret Islamic Law as requiring pregnant women to fast. For example, the religious leader of Singapore’s Muslims held that: ‘a pregnant woman who is in good health, capable of fasting and does not feel any worry about herself or to her foetus, is required and expected to fast like any ordinary woman’ [Joosoph and Yu, 2004].2 Furthermore, since fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a central part of the culture of the Muslim community, many women fear a loss of connection with the community or would feel guilty about not observing Ramadan [Robinson and Raisler, 2005].

More here at Vlad’s.