Saudi Wahhabi Sheikh declares fatwa against manned missions to Mars

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A member Saudi Arabia’s board of religious scholars, Sheikh Ali al Hemki, has criticised the Mars One project which is attempting to organise a commercial mission to the red planet.The pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper Hemki as stating that the mission does not conform to “responsible Muslim” practices.“These experiments will lead to the destruction of those who try,” and so should be done with animals, not people,” he said. “Believers should not should throw themselves into their own hands into perdition.”While 477 Saudi citizens have applied for the mission, only six have so far been accepted.The Mars One Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that will establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023. The group plans to set up a reliable surface habitat before the first crew lands, with more settlers and cargo following every two years.Mars One will launch its first unmanned mission to the Red Planet in 2016. Readers can join the global effort by sharing the Mars One vision with friends, supporting the Mars One Foundation and perhaps even becoming a Mars astronaut themselves./129