Chinese Space Program and Muslim World

Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=40789
A 'Divine Journey', Chinese manned space flight program - opportunities of
Collaboration for the muslim world - Justuju (The Quest)
Wednesday October 08, 2003 (1421 PST)


Hashim Syed Mohammad Bin Qasim, Riyadh

The so called Free world, the western powers, have no doubts about the
military objectives of the Chinese Space Program. Muslim and Arab world has
to realize fast, that, with some efforts, their wealth and friendly ties
might help them in joining the Chinese space wagon: Can OIC grab this
historic moment ….


A successful Chinese Manned Space Flight would rub salt into the currently
wounded US Space Program …

"James Oberg" wrote...
The so called Free world, the western powers, have no doubts about the
military objectives of the Chinese Space Program. Muslim and Arab world has
to realize fast, that, with some efforts, their wealth and friendly ties
might help them in joining the Chinese space wagon: Can OIC grab this
historic moment ….

Hah! The Islamic world will never have a space program, as they are
stuck in medieval times - their culture being roughly 1000 years
behind Western and Asian cultures. There is no science in Islamic
societies. I suppose it is possible that a Muslim nation might be
able to steal enough technology and enlist foreign scientists to
launch a space mission, but it will be impossible for them to claim
that "they" did it, as they would really be nothing more than
financers.

Islamic space travel poses some serious challenges to space-faring
Muslims. For example, if a Muslim were on Mars, how would he
manage to pray facing Mecca? And the requirement to pray five times
a day would be quite tricky on a planet with a different rotational
period than earth.





A successful Chinese Manned Space Flight would rub salt into the currently
wounded US Space Program …

Poop Dogg wrote:

"James Oberg" wrote...
The so called Free world, the western powers, have no doubts about the
military objectives of the Chinese Space Program. Muslim and Arab world has
to realize fast, that, with some efforts, their wealth and friendly ties
might help them in joining the Chinese space wagon: Can OIC grab this
historic moment ….

Hah! The Islamic world will never have a space program, as they are
stuck in medieval times - their culture being roughly 1000 years
behind Western and Asian cultures. There is no science in Islamic
societies. I suppose it is possible that a Muslim nation might be
able to steal enough technology and enlist foreign scientists to
launch a space mission, but it will be impossible for them to claim
that "they" did it, as they would really be nothing more than
financers.

Islamic space travel poses some serious challenges to space-faring
Muslims. For example, if a Muslim were on Mars, how would he
manage to pray facing Mecca?

Not a problem! Many years ago we delivered a 747 to the Saudi
government to use as their "Air Force One" (sometimes referred to as the
"King's Camper" or the "Portable Palace"). Each compartment had a
"Mecca Meter" which interfaced with the Inertial Navigation System to
constantly point in the direction of Mecca. Something similar could be
devised for use on Mars to point in the direction of Earth at all times!

And the requirement to pray five times
a day would be quite tricky on a planet with a different rotational
period than earth.

Not a problem! The Muslim Prayer Center at Mecca already has to
accomodate prayers arriving five times a day from virtually every time
zone on Earth (can't expect Muslims in Los Angeles to get up in the
middle of the night to pray, can we?), so it shouldn't have any problems
receiving prayers from the equivalent 5-times-per-day intervals on Mars
(adjusted for the time of flight at the distance of Mars from Earth at
any given moment)!


A successful Chinese Manned Space Flight would rub salt into the currently
wounded US Space Program …



;-)

Poop Dogg wrote:

[snip]

Islamic space travel poses some serious challenges to space-faring
Muslims. For example, if a Muslim were on Mars, how would he
manage to pray facing Mecca? And the requirement to pray five times
a day would be quite tricky on a planet with a different rotational
period than earth.


Hell, I asked that question long ago with respect to the Saudi Prince
that flew on a shuttle mission as a payload specialist. His position
with respect to Mecca is constantly changing, after all. (Hmm...what
does one do at the exact antipode of Mecca? Just as you can only walk
south from the North Pole, *any* direction would be adequate.)

Someone suggested he got special dispensation from clerics. If so,
this would have to become a blanket policy for any Muslims in space. If
they're flexible enough. If not, too bad, don't go. Let them argue
celestial mechanics with Allah...


--

You know what to remove, to reply....

On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 15:11:23 -0400, James Oberg wrote:



A successful Chinese Manned Space Flight would rub salt into the
currently wounded US Space Program


This is too damn funny! That line HAS to be a joke.


I DO wish whoever goes up for them good luck though.

In article , Dick Morris
wrote:

Not a problem! The Muslim Prayer Center at Mecca already has to
accomodate prayers arriving five times a day from virtually every time
zone on Earth (can't expect Muslims in Los Angeles to get up in the
middle of the night to pray, can we?), so it shouldn't have any problems
receiving prayers from the equivalent 5-times-per-day intervals on Mars
(adjusted for the time of flight at the distance of Mars from Earth at
any given moment)!


What is the speed of prayer? Is it the speed of light, or faster or
slower? Do all prayers move at the same speed regardless of the motion
of the person praying? Is there any relationships between this speed and
the number of angels dancing on pinheads or the number of virgins in
paradise? Bored minds want to know.

In article ,
Poop Dogg wrote:
Islamic space travel poses some serious challenges to space-faring
Muslims. For example, if a Muslim were on Mars, how would he
manage to pray facing Mecca? And the requirement to pray five times
a day would be quite tricky on a planet with a different rotational
period than earth.

This general issue was solved long ago; observant Muslims have already
flown in space. Islam, like Judaism, is generally quite pragmatic about
adapting rules to new situations or ones that pose special difficulties.

The Saudi prince who flew on the shuttle (pre-Challenger) was told that
"in space, Mecca is everywhere" and it did not matter which way he faced
when he prayed. Even if you set that aside -- it seems a bit strained --
Muslims have long used aids like compasses and special maps to determine
the right direction for prayer. It should not be difficult to devise some
sort of perpetual-calendar chart that would tell you the direction to
Earth for any particular day on Mars, and doing it in computer software is
even more straightforward.

It is not expected that you orient yourself toward Mecca in three
dimensions -- over much of Earth, that would require praying at a steep
downward slant -- so chosing the closest direction over the Martian
surface ought to suffice.

As for timing, again, there are existing analogies. I don't think
observant Muslims are forbidden to do shiftwork, so I expect there is some
straightforward adaptation for those who find it impossible to pray at the
usual hours -- perhaps praying at the appropriate times in *their* day.

Moreover, I believe the theory is that prayer times are supposed to be
based on local *solar* time (which is why Saudi Arabia is about the only
nation on Earth which doesn't use timezones). Which would mean that on
Mars, timing your prayers using the local Martian day would in fact be
*the correct thing to do*, preferable to observing some arbitrary schedule
based on some Earth timezone.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

In article ,
Raoul Ortega wrote:

What is the speed of prayer? Is it the speed of light, or faster or
slower?

don't know. it's all just spooky actions at a distance to me.

"Dick Morris" wrote...
Not a problem! Many years ago we delivered a 747 to the Saudi
government to use as their "Air Force One" (sometimes referred to as the
"King's Camper" or the "Portable Palace"). Each compartment had a
"Mecca Meter" which interfaced with the Inertial Navigation System to
constantly point in the direction of Mecca. Something similar could be
devised for use on Mars to point in the direction of Earth at all times!

The direction would be up in this case.


And the requirement to pray five times
a day would be quite tricky on a planet with a different rotational
period than earth.

Not a problem! The Muslim Prayer Center at Mecca already has to
accomodate prayers arriving five times a day from virtually every time
zone on Earth (can't expect Muslims in Los Angeles to get up in the
middle of the night to pray, can we?), so it shouldn't have any problems
receiving prayers from the equivalent 5-times-per-day intervals on Mars
(adjusted for the time of flight at the distance of Mars from Earth at
any given moment)!

Hmm...Well, Venus' day is 243 earth days. So Muslims landing on Venus
would only have to pray every 48.6 earth days? And how do you bow down
to something that is above you? This is getting silly, I think it
illustrates the stupidity of religion.




A successful Chinese Manned Space Flight would rub salt into the currently
wounded US Space Program .



;-)

No one gives a damn which way Mecca is from Mars.

The question here is whether the cash-laden Saudis want to contribute to the
militaristic Chinese space program.

Actually I don't see this happening. Who are the Arabs and Chinese going to go
to war with? The US? We are the best customer of both of these cats.

The Chinese are into pork and alcohol, so I don't see a great affinity on the
religious front. Ask the Malays.

China has launched plenty of military satellites, same as we do. I do not see
evidence that the manned space program is designed for military purposes. I
think the ChiComs probably want to cruise around up there, same as we do.

In the future, the Chinese are going to have the privlege of importing more
$20-30 barrel oil, same as us. The whole idea of a Chinese-Arab space axis
strike me as uh xenophobic. The threat from the Arabs is from airplanes, not
spacecraft. So far the political relationship between the upper-echelon Arabs
and the US is better than at street level.

But the Chinese supply good maids and construction worker...and will be good oil
customers back home.