Islam discourages marrying relatives, says official

I have met one Turkish/Cypriot Prof. 5 years ago here in Dubai. He studies DNA and he was saying he is paradise here. Well it is very common Emirate's getting married within families, as well as most of the Gulf countries. Because they are very close and Conservative community.

By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
Published: November 22, 2007, 00:11

Dubai: Marrying within the family sparked a heated debate during a public forum on genetics, with some asking why it was discouraged when tests were available to weed out faulty genes.

Dr Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Haddad, a director at Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, told the audience at the Second Pan-Arab Human Genetics Conference that Islam discouraged marrying relatives, or consanguinity.

Professor Abdul Nasser Abu Al Bassal, dean of Sharia and Islamic Studies at University of Sharjah, then questioned the concept during his presentation on pre-marital genetic testing.

"Why forbid consanguineous marriage when pre-marital genetic testing can find out if they have a disorder?" he asked."Consanguineous marriage is not a monster," he added.

Dr Al Haddad rebutted, saying: "Preference does not mean it is forbidden. It is just preferred [to marry outside the family] to have healthier offspring."

Geneticists attending the forum supported Dr Al Haddad's statement, saying genetic testing did not necessarily prevent genetic disorders.

Dr Mohammad Naveed, consultant geneticist with the UAE Genetic Disease Association, later told Gulf News that pre-marital genetic testing was not fool-proof. "Genetic tests only catch the disorders you're looking for [with the tests]. In cases of common disorders like thalassaemia, the risks are the same for people marrying within or outside the family," he said.

However, the same could not be said for rare genetic disorders that run in families. "Consanguinity increases the risk of genetic disorders, especially recessive disorders," he said. "It unfolds hidden carriers [of disorders] in the family that are rare or unknown, such as mental retardation."

The Arab world has the highest incidence of genetic disorders in the world, with about 1,000 disorders recorded, according to Dubai-based Centre for Arab Genomics Studies (CAGS). Scientists blame the high rate on the common practice of marrying relatives.

Testing is necessary

Pre-marital testing for genetic disorders among couples remains necessary, but should not hinder couples from getting married, which contravenes Islam, say an Islamic scholar.

The UAE has almost 250 genetic disorders on record, according to the Centre for Arab Genomics Studies (CAGS), with blood disorders thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia of the most common disorders affecting 1 in 12 Emirate's. Professor Abdul Nasser Abu Al Bassal, dean for Sharia and Islamic Studies at University of Sharjah, told the audience during the public forum of the Second Pan-Arab Human Genetics Conference, that pre-marital counselling must not be used to prevent people from marrying.

"Pre-marital testing must not create new obstacles for youth to get married, which is why the tests must be free or at low cost" he said.

Heavy fog covers Dubai and rest of Emirates

It has been really bad last few days mornings and as well as visibility.

Dubai: Forecasters have warned there could be more fog on Monday morning, following on from another day in which poor visibility caused severe disruption to flights.

The runways at Abu Dhabi International Airport were closed for nearly nine hours yesterday morning when visibility in the UAE capital dropped to as little as 100 metres.

After the airport was closed at about midnight, 16 inbound flights were diverted to Al Ain International Airport on Sunday, 10 of them services by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.

Dozens of outbound services from Abu Dhabi were delayed or cancelled because of the conditions.
"The airport has been speeding up the clearance of delayed flights," said a statement from Abu Dhabi Airports Company. For more:

PALM ISLAND

Atlantis Hotel Construction and the view from Dubai Marina

When you are working in Palm, the only man made Island in the world, you do have advantage of seeing all these views everyday:) The Island has made out from 3 section The Shoreline, Fonds and Crescent. I work right end of the Crescent, it takes me about 20 minutes to enter the island and arrive to my office. Because of Security check and Construction Vehicles.


Typical Housing in the Palm,

The Island project is launched by Nakheel and other more to come like: The World, Deira Palm and Jebel Ali Palm. Jumeirah Palm is the smallest and the first project and will have Villas, Apartments, Hotels and Residence like Trump Tower, Atlantis Hotel as well as world famous residents:)

Here is some more photos I have taken when I am on my way home:)

10 KASIM ONU ANIYORUZ!

Bugun 10 Kasim Ataturk'umuzu kaybettigimiz gun, buyuk onder liderimizi bizi var eden, geri kalmisliktan kurtaran kisa bir surede cok seyler basaran buyuk onder Ataturk.

Dunyanin neresinde olursam oliyim her yil 10 Kasimda 9:05 Turkiye saatinde saygi durusunda bulunur onu anarim.

Bugun Saudia Arabistanli bir arakadasimiz: Mustafa Kemal sizin basiniza gelebilecek en iyi seydi derken, orumcek kafalilardan geri kalmisliktan kurtardi sizi diyordu. Bizde boyle bir lider gerek derken cok ilginc Turkiye saatiyle 9:05 geciyordu. Seni saygiyla aniyoruz Atam.

gomu, gol, g

dizelerim dayandı da söz ırmağına
harf bitti. yazı yok. göğe erdi ses telim.
benim. benim. benim. bu kar topunun
yuvarlayıcısı. eskinin esin avcısı.
gömüldüm kış koltuğuna
nerdeyim, kimim, neyim:

gül topladım: güllendim
g harfine su verdim
bittiğim killi toprakta
ben miyim asıl yara
bülbül mü yetim?

Devamini co-yazar olarak yazdigim Blog'tan okuyun derim cok guzel bir siir Eline saglik Nurduran Duman

First Day of Horse Back Riding/ At Biniciliginin Ilk Gunu

Isabella and Victoria are going to Horseback riding every Saturday now. Isabella is natural talent for handling any animal, she was riding after 10 minutes by herself.

Victoria was bit hesitant at the beginning as her character everything has to be guarantied for her (Horse won't bite?, she won't fall down from the horse?). She got used to riding at the end:)

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Isabella ve Victoria At Biniciligine basladilar gecen Cumartesi. Isabel her zamanki gibi butun hayvanlarla nasil iyiyse, Ata da 10 dakika sonra kendisi binmeye devam etti.

Victoria her zamanki gibi herseyi garantiye almadan hicbirseyi yapmiyacagi icin oncelikle herseyi ogrendi (at isirmaz dimi?, ben attan dusmem dimi?) simdi cumartesi gunlerini bekliyor..

Palm Under Constraction/Palmiye Adasi hala Insaat

As I am working in Palm now, I can see how much work has been done, and still under contraction. There is hell of work has to be done and still continuing. I have to drive with big pumper trucks, vans and dirt road everyday. But at the end of the working day, coming home with this view is not too bad I guess.:))

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Palmiye adasinda calismaya basladigimdan beri, Adada ne kadar cok isin yapildigi ve yapilacagini simdi daha iyi anliyorum. Hala bir suru insaatlar var yapilacak ve devam etmekte. Hergun buyuk komyonlar, pickuplar ve toprak yolda araba suruyorsun ve is bitiminde eve donerken bu manzarayla karsilasmak hicte fena degil sanirim:))