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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 … |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
"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 … |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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 … ;-) |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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.... |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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. |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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. |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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! | |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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. |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
"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 . ;-) |
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Chinese Space Program and Muslim World
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. |
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