Interestingly enough, I read an article recently by an anthropologist that described some of the issues the U.S. is confronting in foreign countries, particularly our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The anthropologist remarked that as a country, the United States is relatively young. Our culture, our society, is the product of a blending of a multitude of cultures and that has grown in an unrestrained atmosphere.
Cousin Marriage
In Iraq, as in many other countries, cousin marriage is a central element in the social fabric of Iraq and according to statistics, more than half of all marriages that take place in Iraq are between first and second cousins. The practice of cousin marriage creates a very fierce and cohesive relationship amongst the family clans and it this strength of family bonds that are very unfamiliar to those of us raised in a society that prides itself on individualism and independence.
These family clans are described by some anthropologists as governments in miniature and where we identify our government structures based on local, county, state and Federal – we do not appreciate the fact that in a destabilized region, support doesn’t come from the government – it comes from the clan and the family. Without a strong clan, there is no survival.
Clan Ties
So when it comes to arranging a marriage or securing a good marriage for a couple in this type of clan society, you do not want the solidarity of the marriage between husband and wife to come between the man and woman and their families. By marrying the child of a father’s brother or a mother’s sister, the husband and wife are of the same clan and their property, their unity and their strength further strengthen the clan they are both from.
For those of us familiar with the struggle of trying to blend in with our in-laws and more, this problem is more than mitigated by the fact that the family on both sides of this type of union is related. Therefore, nepotism is not a flaw of these clan-based societies, but a fact of nature and it will continue to undermine the American ideal of society because their society is not ours and never will be. A key to understanding the need of the Iraqi people and other societies where clan marriage and cousin marriage is important. Understanding can lead to respect – when we can see the issues, respect the issues and appreciate them, we are in a better position to assist rather than assert our own preconceptions on them.
Are you familiar with cousin marriage and clan ties?
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