Can you pleasy explain what You mean, I didn't understand You!

I suppose he meant that in some Muslim communities it is quiet common tht relatively close relatives intermarry, while it is mostly seen as bad for the health of the children if practised for longer periods.

1. You are right on this one.

2. Regarding Hindus, they have very strict cast division where inter-marriage is forbidden. The cast system is so powerful that the lower cast may not even touch the higher cast, use his well for fetching water, live under the same roof or eat from the same utensil. In fact the cook house has to be different. In spite of all efforts by social reformers there has been little change really.

Excuse me for sure, but as I know this cast view is not really rooted in Hinduism, because You can see that in ancient times there were a lot of children from parents of different casts. And same as I know firstly you were part of a cast according to your deeds and not Your birth. What happened is that people have distanced theirselves from the roots, but that happen not only to Hindus, that happens everywhere. I know many people who are Muslims that have no idea on Islam evident even for me, who has such a small knowledge on Islam, but ome people see being Muslim simply as something to birth related and did never even interest on Islam, I know such people. After but You see stupid people come nd say "Look - these are the Muslims, they are that and that...", even not thinking that those they consider as Muslims are so far away of Islam.

There being nothing like the hindu cast system in Islam, I see the point you are making..

The only 'differences' among muslims lie in ethnicity/tribe/school of thought, etc. But because fundamentally we do not believe any sect is superior or inferior to another, there is meant to be no discrimination. Every Muslim is a brother or sister to another, and so forth and the identity of muslim takes precedence over other identities.

Then again comes the fact that some [okay, most] communities prefer to have their children marry within that community, believing it is essential to keep them from disappearing in the long run..it is how they have survived so many years in the first place.

So which one is correct? Both are valid points, so ultimately it is probably the individual's and his/her family's decision..