An 18-page Guidelines for Performing Islamic Rites at the International Space Station, was compiled to teach Muslim astronauts how to:
1. find Mecca from space...
2. fast in space...
3. kneel in space....
3. participate in jihad from space?
Next week, the first Muslim astronaut will go to the space station.
A minister for foreign affairs in Malaysia said, "The reason we formulated guidelines for Muslims
in space is because we wanted to ensure our astronaut could fully concentrate on his mission, without having to worry about how he should perform his religious obligations in space.'
Perhaps performing is obligations in space is the best religious thing he could do.
"Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, an orthopaedic surgeon and university lecturer from Kuala Lumpur, will leave Earth from Kazakhstan's Baikonur launchpad for Russia's International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday.'
He will be in space during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Is this another incident of where religion gets in the way of practicality?
The first Muslim in space said he had problems finding Mecca.
Um...how hard could it be? Find the earth and face that a way.
Mr. Belew
This article of yours seems very insensitive and Islamophobic. I hope you mean this in jest however, on an occasion such as this your poor taste is obvious. This is a great moment for the people of Malaysia, even though they paid far more money than it was worth, the social-cultural benefits are astounding. I just wonder how NASA or the ESA not have come across this issue earlier considering we have been exploring space for 50 years. I just don't think you realize the importance of a document/event such as this, I hope you reconsider your words and choose them more wisely next time.
- Kyle
Posted by: Kyle | October 11, 2007 1:23 PM | Permalink to Comment