A viral social media post by far-right activist Tommy Robinson has reignited a contentious debate over cousin marriage practices within the British Pakistani community. The post features a video of Robinson citing controversial statistics and calling for a nationwide ban on cousin marriage in the UK, drawing both support and strong criticism online.

In the video, Robinson claims that 76 per cent of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins and alleges that British Pakistanis—who make up around 3 per cent of the UK population—account for 33 per cent of birth defects in the country. He argues that this is a significant burden on the UK's healthcare system and attributes the cultural norm to historical Islamic practices.

Tommy Robinson tells it like it is:

“Pakistanis make up 3% of the UK population. They are responsible for 33% of birth defects. They are being born retarded.

It’s costing the economy billions and billions because Mohammed married his cousin.”

Ban cousin marriage! pic.twitter.com/tP6FBsUzwP