| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Computer will tell Muslim astronaut how to pray in space |
| 2006-04-27 |
| Malaysian scientists and religious scholars are trying to determine how Muslims should behave in space, as the predominantly Islamic country prepares to dispatch its first astronaut next year. More than 150 delegates attended a seminar to consider how to pray in space given the difficulties of locating Mecca and holding the prayer position in zero gravity; as well as other questions such as halal food and washing. "It's as important as sending the astronaut," said Mustafa Din bin Subari, deputy director of Angkasa, Malaysia's space agency. "We want to stress that being a Muslim does not restrict you from doing anything." The application of a religion founded in the 7th century Arabian desert to space travel in the 21st century is complex. The International Space Station (ISS) moves at almost 17,000 mph, so the relative position of Mecca is constantly shifting. With 16 orbits a day, and the timing of five daily prayers determined in relation to sunrise and sunset, devout Muslim astronauts could find themselves intoning their chants 80 times in 24 hours. "This is not possible," said Mohamad Sa'ari Mohamad Isa, of the National Technical University College of Malaysia at the meeting in Bangi, near Kuala Lumpur. The electronics lecturer has helped to develop a computer programme called Muslims in Space to determine when prayers should be made. The Malaysian government is planning to send one of its citizens on a Russian-led mission to the ISS in October 2007. Three of the final four candidates for the trip are Muslim men, the other a Hindu woman, who were selected from 30,000 applicants. The only known Muslim to travel into space before is a Saudi prince, on Nasa's space shuttle in 1985. Delegates to the conference, which ended on Tuesday, were also reminded that scientific progress used to be most advanced in the Islamic world, which gave the West algebra, the zero and Arabic numerals. It was a failure of individuals and leaders, rather than the religion, according to Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Kabeer, vice-president of the Islamic Astronomers' Association of Malaysia, that led to Islamic peoples giving up their lead. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #19 "It's as important as sending the astronaut," said Mustafa Din bin Subari, deputy director of Angkasa, Malaysia's space agency. "We want to stress that being a Muslim does not restrict you from doing anything." Sorry but it restricts you from doing this space adventure without denying the science and focusing on how your astronaut waggles his ass at Mecca 5 times a day. It proves you are incapable of joining a space program. That science is beyond the ken of your religion. Space -- and their only focus is how the muslim can be "pious". Sad sad sad. The operative word in muslim contibution to science is "used to". Much like the blaming the loss on "leaders" rather than the fundamentals of the religion. The "leaders" are the mullahs, the religion. Sure, shoot Mohammad into space, just don't expect him to be anything but religious baggage. |
| Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-04-27 20:48 |
| #18 Going to Space means seeing that there's no muddy pool for the Sun to sink into, iow the muslim astronauts prove for themselves their holely book lies. |
| Posted by: Duh! 2006-04-27 17:47 |
| #17 The real questions is, will they ever admit that the Koran says nothing of space travel, and is therefore somewhat outdated? Or that The Allmighty Allan did not see this one coming? |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-04-27 16:45 |
| #16 I already covered this in a previous posting. It's a sticky wicket, depending upon the altitude of the orbit. That is all. |
| Posted by: Al Aska Paul, Resident Imam 2006-04-27 15:17 |
| #15 Thinking for oneself being, y'know, right out... |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-04-27 15:10 |
| #14 "We want to stress that being a Muslim does not restrict you from doing anything." Like eating sandwiches made from that wonderous and magical animal, the pig? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-04-27 13:49 |
| #13 The Muslim "guests on other's spacecraft" need not worry. Important people get the fatwas they want. |
| Posted by: James 2006-04-27 13:15 |
| #12 PIGS IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCEE!!!!! Where is she when we need her? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2006-04-27 12:22 |
| #11 Ahh, you need a computer to pray. ehhh? |
| Posted by: newc 2006-04-27 12:17 |
| #10 HAL? hal? Answer me Hal. |
| Posted by: newc 2006-04-27 12:14 |
| #9 Yeah, they will pray, but wait until they have to go to the bathroom and perform the woudou stuff with the stones... and did I mention the ablutions before praying? Gromgoru, ed, BH : lol! Still, that's cruel, you should be ashamed of mocking theses brave muslimonauts daring into kafr space. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-04-27 12:03 |
| #8 good thing we finally have an answer, after all, so many muslim astronauts were previously confused |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-27 11:02 |
| #7 Something wonderful is going to happen, Mohammad |
| Posted by: kelly 2006-04-27 10:27 |
| #6 Malaysian scientists and religious scholars are trying to determine how Muslims should behave in space Poorly, as on Earth. |
| Posted by: BH 2006-04-27 10:20 |
| #5 That's a good step one, JFM. Now we have to deal with the unreliability of the earth's magnetic field and the probability that compasses are incorrect. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-27 10:19 |
| #4 Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day. Now for a spacehip a revolution around teh earth is a day, so a Muslim should pray five times per revolution for the entire duration of the mission (several earth days usually) and do this ins space suit and zero gravity conditions. Just try to hit the florr with your forehead in zero gravity. So at the end we have a guy who can do little work because he spends his time praying (the time of an astronaut costs thousands of dollars per second) and he is in such state of exhaustion as to be a hazrd for the mission. Now, how about quite simply not allowing Muslims in space? |
| Posted by: JFM 2006-04-27 10:08 |
| #3 So.... what if the computer "crashes"? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-04-27 10:00 |
| #2 Prayer's done. HAL, let me in. I can't do that, Ibrahim. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-04-27 09:39 |
| #1 ... how Muslims should behave in space, The most important thing to remember is that the, so-called, need to maintain pressure is Zionist/Crusader propaganda. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-04-27 09:18 |