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[BurnOutBrighter]

man wow holy cow i guess that's a wrap guys.

That's Hinduism, not Islam

 

[KmA]

Why does this Fatwa exist? How does this relate to anything currently happening? I'm so confused (reported) Fatwa's these days are getting ridiculously random.

 

[crazy monkey]

keep your fatwa to your self mulla.

 

[Monocle]

Oh wow, I guess we can all give up on our aspirations for space exploration now, because the UAE's Islamic authority says it's a no-no.

Gosh darn it. I can't help but feel we're limiting ourselves for no good reason somehow, but we must respect the UAE's Islamic authority and their expert opinion on this matter.

 

[Heshinsi]

Here's the funny thing about fatwas; you can keep going around asking for a fatwa on a particular question, till you find a fatwa that works for you. So screw your science hating ways U.A.E, I'm going to Mars bitches.

 

[HurricaneJesus]

I don't think a manned mission to mars is even in the planning stages. There is no point to sending people there. It is way too much of a risk and would cost way too much. We need to focus on sending more robots that can do more. Sending people is cool and all, but it just isn't logistically possible anywhere in the near future.

 

[Norml]

Mars thread needs a new Mars photo

from today http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00548/mhli/0548MH0263000000E1_DXXX.jpg

 

[RustyNails]

I don't think a manned mission to mars is even in the planning stages. There is no point to sending people there. It is way too much of a risk and would cost way too much. We need to focus on sending more robots that can do more. Sending people is cool and all, but it just isn't logistically possible anywhere in the near future.

We sent people to moon on technology that was equivalent of a TI-83 calculator. Since then, we created more powerful yet cheaper materials for rockets, spacesuits and rocket fuel. Why would it cost way too much and be a risk.

 

[Eusis]

Grrrrr progreeeess!!!

Seriously, this mentality would prevent any type of scientific exploration ever.

Not that religious zealotry hasn't gotten in the way before, but this is a unique situation should it ever come to proper fruition without a solid return plan. Only a few places on Earth are remotely as bad and even they at least can generally depend on a breathable atmosphere being there. I think even when scrapping out the religious angle many people would go "come on it's suicide to go on a one way trip, you'd have to be crazy or desperate to do that!"

 

[HurricaneJesus]

We sent people to moon on technology that was equivalent of a TI-83 calculator. Since then, we created more powerful yet cheaper materials for rockets, spacesuits and rocket fuel. Why would it cost way too much and be a risk.

Because Mars is very far away. Also, getting them home is the difficult part. The moon was easy to lift off from, Mars not so much. Also, there would be no way to send a rescue mission if something went wrong. Also, it would mean keeping them in space for at least a year, and more likely 2 years. People are not meant to live in space. You have the solar winds, the lack of gravity fucking with your bones and muscles, etc.

It isn't impossible, but if you actually want to see new cool shit in your lifetime, the way to do it is with un-manned missions. Maybe if we had kept up with funding the space program properly, it would be possible, but we haven't. Fuck, NASA has to hitch rides from other countries...

They need to get something on the way to Europa, and other places with the potential for life. More robots is the answer.

 

[Shaanyboi]

Not that religious zealotry hasn't gotten in the way before, but this is a unique situation should it ever come to proper fruition without a solid return plan. Only a few places on Earth are remotely as bad and even they at least can generally depend on a breathable atmosphere being there. I think even when scrapping out the religious angle many people would go "come on it's suicide to go on a one way trip, you'd have to be crazy or desperate to do that!"

It's crazy to want to step foot on Mars? To push the limits of human reach even farther? To pave the way for future generations to live amongst the stars?

 

[googleplex]

This is funny to me, but who does this 'authority' represent? Who's going to listen or care?



But that had nothing to do with Islam itself and everything to do with location.

Actually, it had everything to do with the secular nature of Islam in that region at that time.

 

[IceCold]

This doesn't even make sense to me. Going to mars is analogous to navigators traveling around the globe 500 years ago without knowing what lies beyond the horizon. I doubt fatwas were done to prevent Islamic navigators from traveling long distances.

 

[Supermanisdead]

It's crazy to want to step foot on Mars? To push the limits of human reach even farther? To pave the way for future generations to live amongst the stars?

yeah cuz ur gonna die

 

[yogloo]

What's the punishment for breaking the fatwa? Death?

 

[Replicant]

They're right. Haven't you guys seen Total Recall? Mahs is dangerous!

 

[quantumnerd]

If this fatwa only applies to Muslims, then does that mean they don't have any problem sending non-Muslims to Mars?

This isn't halting scientific progress. This is just an easy way to get other, different people to die for science!

 

[Eusis]

It's crazy to want to step foot on Mars? To push the limits of human reach even farther? To pave the way for future generations to live amongst the stars?

If you lack a return plan and little in the way of establishing a long term settlement then yeah, it's kind of crazy. Probably should focus on getting that sort of thing done and running on the Moon actually as a test case.

If this fatwa only applies to Muslims, then does that mean they don't have any problem sending non-Muslims to Mars?

This isn't halting scientific progress. This is just an easy way to get other, different people to die for science!

Haha, yeah, that was my first thought on reading that. "Let the other guys go first, we'll follow when it's clear!"

 

[Dice]

Go die on mars? Maybe when I'm old/terminal with something. I got stuff I want to do here first. That would be a pretty badass place to die tho.

Edit: GAF should send someone to mars so the first words of someone walking its surface are "Checkpoint reached."

 

[Messofanego]

Mars thread needs a new Mars photo

from today http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00548/mhli/0548MH0263000000E1_DXXX.jpg

Those are sexy tires.

 

[Aquamarine]

I hope this "authority" changes their mind when we start setting up Mars colonies.

 

[Random_Guy]

A respectful and appropriate response to this "fatwa"

http://www.mars-one.com/news/press-...wa-issued-by-the-general-authority-of-islamic

 

[FreeMufasa]

Anyone going to mars is a wasteman still. Standard ting

 

[Laughing Banana]

What a load of shit. If this fatwa was legit, no one would have left their villages ever.

Well, what are the chances of dying when you leave your village or house?

This mission has a 100% chance for its participants to not ever going back, you know.

 

[Pops Maellard]

EDIT i see no problem with prohibiting one-way trip. It is indirect suicide, no matter how you frame it. If there were a possibility of returning, it wouldn't be.

I'm not sure I follow... You're saying that if someone was to go to Mars, but had no way of returning, they're essentially committing suicide? What if they live out the rest of their natural life on Mars?

 

[Monocle]

Well, what are the chances of dying when you leave your village or house?

This mission has a 100% chance for its participants to not ever going back, you know.

House fires are a thing. People fall down stairs. Burglars kill people. Accidents happen. Diseases can affect anyone.

Life is risk. Why live with a fearful, constipated attitude when great things can be achieved? Death is an inevitability no matter what.

Then again, it's not especially shocking to see advocates of a belief system founded largely on humanity's fundamental fear of mortality being safety conscious, to a sometimes irrational degree.

 

[Laughing Banana]

House fires are a thing. People fall down stairs. Burglars kill people. Accidents happen. Diseases can affect anyone.

Life is risk. Why live with a fearful, constipated attitude when great things can be achieved? Death is an inevitability no matter what.

Then again, it's not especially shocking to see advocates of a belief system founded largely on humanity's fundamental fear of mortality being safety conscious, to a sometimes irrational degree.

It is not my intention to approve/agree with the fatwa of the clerics.

I am merely pointing out that the comparison made by Heshinsi may not be particularly apt or even same at all.

 

[Ashes]

How is it irrational to recommend not going to Mars for fear of one's safety? lol. What exactly do some of you think Space is?

I disagree with the premise of the fatwa anyway. I don't think it's a suicide mission. It's not like jumping into volcano or anything.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

A respectful and appropriate response to this "fatwa"

http://www.mars-one.com/news/press-...wa-issued-by-the-general-authority-of-islamic

That's not a bad reply actually.

 

[Messofanego]

Anyone going to mars is a wasteman still. Standard ting

They just be rudeboys cuz

A respectful and appropriate response to this "fatwa"

http://www.mars-one.com/news/press-...wa-issued-by-the-general-authority-of-islamic

Thanks for this, great read.

 

[fredrancour]

A respectful and appropriate response to this "fatwa"

http://www.mars-one.com/news/press-...wa-issued-by-the-general-authority-of-islamic

"Travelling- It leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller"

Damn, that needs to ascend into legendary proverb status.

 

[Devolution]

Have they not seen Chronicles of Riddick? That Muslim planet was pretty nice. At least it was until the Underverse creepos showed up.

I was going to say, New Mecca doe.

 

[bonesmccoy]

Actually, it had everything to do with the secular nature of Islam in that region at that time.

Which had a lot to do with the countries Islamic armies conquered and then governed in that region (or you could say, location) - so we're in agreement?

 

[Fusebox]

What's the overlap like between Fatwah-obeying Muslims and potential Mars-flight candidates anyway? Can't imagine there's really anyone rethinking their career choice as an astronaut because of this noise.

 

[HurricaneJesus]

What's the overlap like between Fatwah-obeying Muslims and potential Mars-flight candidates anyway? Can't imagine there's really anyone rethinking their career choice as an astronaut because of this noise.

The Fatwa is for all born Muslims, whether they practice it or not.

 

[Fusebox]

The Fatwa is for all born Muslims, whether they practice it or not.

But I did specify Fatwah-obeying Muslims.

I'm pretty sure not every single Muslim would kill Salman Rushdie given the opportunity, for example.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

What's the overlap like between Fatwah-obeying Muslims and potential Mars-flight candidates anyway? Can't imagine there's really anyone rethinking their career choice as an astronaut because of this noise.

There are a lot of silly fatwas out there, especially if you go to places like Egypt. Not every fatwa makes sense and I as a Muslim will never adhere to fatwas that don't make sense to me, this fatwa makes no sense because being dangerous isn't necessarily suicidal.

 

[kurisu_1974]

Not every fatwa makes sense and I as a Muslim will never adhere to fatwas that don't make sense to me, this fatwa makes no sense because being dangerous isn't necessarily suicidal.

Sounds incredibly random. Why adhere to any fatwa at all in this case?

 

[Ashes]

Sounds incredibly random. Why adhere to any fatwa at all in this case?

How is that random? Let alone incredibly so. Any ruling legal or otherwise deserves scrutiny.

 

[sadceph2001]

Dangerous exploration for greater good of mankind? #ATHEISTLOGIC

 

[Random_Guy]

Sounds incredibly random. Why adhere to any fatwa at all in this case?

A fatwa is an opinion of a scholar. For it to be considered obligatory upon all Muslims, it has to meet a number of conditions. For example, a consensus among a large number of scholars or clear proof from a authoritative text like the Quran. This fatwa is clearly an opinion of a scholar (or a very small group of scholars). As a Muslim, I respect what the scholar is saying but do not agree with it. The article I shared above gives a better understanding of how Islam deals with these issues. In general, Islam encourages a person to study and explore, it does not want a Muslim to be a blind follower. This is repeated several times in the Quran. This is why traditionally Muslims were a cause for most of the technological advances. Many of the great Muslim scientists were religious scholars as well. Unfortunately, its not the case these days, but things are improving...

 

[Terra]

Spoiler

OH WAIT, NO INTERNET ACCESS.

Come on! They could send moving pictures and sound to earth from the moon back in 1969. Internet access from Mars could not even be a problem.

Spoiler

Or did they really land there?

 

[Pluto]

A respectful and appropriate response to this "fatwa"

http://www.mars-one.com/news/press-...wa-issued-by-the-general-authority-of-islamic

They compare the people going to Mars with Neil Armstrong and Marco Polo but I don't think that's a very good comparison, there was a chance that Armstrong, Polo et al would never return home but the people Mars One plans to send to Mars will 100% never return home, they will go to Mars and if they don't die on their way they will die on the surface, that's the plan!

It really is kind of a suicide mission and it is not done for scientific progress, it's done so that the people behind Mars One can rake in money and spend it here on earth.

With our current level of technology space exploration is best done with probes and robots.

 

[kurisu_1974]

How is that random? Let alone incredibly so. Any ruling legal or otherwise deserves scrutiny.

In the sense that random scholars declare the fatwah and random followers decide individually if they agree and follow up on it?

I understand the goal being to avoid blind followers but why not take it a step further and let the individual decide his own opinion on these matters (in this case, planetary exploration).

As I understand it form recent posts here, there is no penalty for ignoring these fatwa's anyways, so why even acknowledge them at all?

 

[The Elite]

I am thinking of writing a story where we finally make contact with aliens and these religious nutters try to ruin it for everybody.They are so damn scared of becoming irrelevant.

Wasn't that the story behind the Journeyman Project video game? I can't quite remember but it was something similar.

(Edit: Nah, it wasn't religiously motivated. Just fear.)

 

[dripdripsplash]

A fatwa is an opinion of a scholar. For it to be considered obligatory upon all Muslims, it has to meet a number of conditions. For example, a consensus among a large number of scholars or clear proof from a authoritative text like the Quran. This fatwa is clearly an opinion of a scholar (or a very small group of scholars). As a Muslim, I respect what the scholar is saying but do not agree with it. The article I shared above gives a better understanding of how Islam deals with these issues. In general, Islam encourages a person to study and explore, it does not want a Muslim to be a blind follower. This is repeated several times in the Quran. This is why traditionally Muslims were a cause for most of the technological advances. Many of the great Muslim scientists were religious scholars as well. Unfortunately, its not the case these days, but things are improving...

I like this explanation and post.

In the sense that random scholars declare the fatwah and random followers decide individually if they agree and follow up on it?

I understand the goal being to avoid blind followers but why not take it a step further and let the individual decide his own opinion on these matters (in this case, planetary exploration).

As I understand it form recent posts here, there is no penalty for ignoring these fatwa's anyways, so why even acknowledge them at all?

As the quoted post from Random Guy says, the fatwa becomes obligatory if it meets a number of conditions.

The problem nowadays is there is hundreds of self apointed Muftis who make it their career to put out fatwa after fatwa with little to no thought behind them, like the one in OP for example.

 

[Random_Guy]

I understand the goal being to avoid blind followers but why not take it a step further and let the individual decide his own opinion on these matters (in this case, planetary exploration).

As I understand it form recent posts here, there is no penalty for ignoring these fatwa's anyways, so why even acknowledge them at all?

For a person to be able to pass a sound religious ruling on an issue, they have to go through years of studying and scholarship. Majority of the issues that plague the Muslims today (and the horrible image Islam has now) is because of self appointed scholars who have no real training. It's common to see ludicrous Fatwas being issued but majority of these are completely ignored by Muslims because they are not from the main stream scholars. Unfortunately, the media loves to jump on these stories and give them way more attention than they deserve.

 

[SlipperyMoose]

I'm ok with them not going to mars. One planet is enough.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

I'm ok with them not going to mars. One planet is enough.

Tough luck, space is for everyone.

 

[many places]

What's the punishment for breaking the fatwa? Death?

Probably, they love their death.