Muslim Martians beware: UAE clerics issue fatwa against settling Mars

Edict comes in response to private initiative to explore, settle the red planet.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
The scene on Mars as captured by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. (photo credit: REUTERS)
The scene on Mars as captured by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Muslims dreaming about living on Mars better think again, for they might be violating a religious edict.
According to the Daily Mail, clerics in the United Arab Emirates have issued a fatwa banning Muslims from settling the red planet, which has yet to be inhabited by humans.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment ruled that settling Mars would be so dangerous that it would be tantamount to suicide, an act which is not permitted by Islam.
According to the Daily Mail, the ruling came in reaction to a statement by an organization which has professed as its stated goal the settlement of humans on Mars.
Mars One is a venture launched jointly by Dutch, American, and Canadian scientists and entrepreneurs who have made it their mission to explore and settle the red planet.