Thursday, August 15, 2013

'Rat People' of Pakistan

"They’re called the “rat people” of Pakistan, but they are really suffering from a genetic mutation called microcephaly – a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the circumference of the head is more than two standard deviations smaller than average.

Called “rat people”, they are sold by their families to begging mafias, who exploit a tradition that they are sacred offerings to Shah Daula, the shrine’s 17th century Sufi saint.
Recent medical studies say the most likely cause is that the normally rare recessive genes behind many microcephaly cases crop up with greater frequency because of the common custom of marrying cousins in Pakistan." OddCulture.com
You must never have sexual relations with a close relative, for I am the LORD.
Leviticus 18:6 NLT