Tajikistan considers testing prospective grooms, brides for close kinship

Deputy head of the Justice Ministry’s Department of Civil Registry, Jaloliddin Rahimov: “People should ‘know what illnesses their partners have; some Tajiks have never in their life visited a clinic and do not know themselves if they have any diseases,’ he said. He cited an example where a premarital examination prevented what he described as a marriage that was bound to be unhappy. A young girl went to the doctor and found she could not get pregnant. Her grief-stricken parents called off the marriage.

“’Think about it: What a scandal there would have been for the family if the marriage had gone ahead! And again the question of divorce would have come up. So that premarital examination prevented a divorce.’”

Opponent Manizha Negmatullozoda: “’You do not see people in developed countries being forced into medical examinations before marriage. There couples get the body ready before giving birth. They go through all the tests possible. And what happens to us here? Everywhere you go you are watched; there is a push to introduce a law on mandatory pre-marriage testing; you have got to follow their orders – dress like they tell you, name your child and so forth,’ said Negmatullozoda, referring to a draft bill that wouldban Muslim-sounding names and to recent raids on shops selling Muslim clothing.”

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73356