14 DAY TRIAL // Malaysia will send its first astronaut out in space, but he must be very careful to respect the rules. The Muslim rules, that is!
Malaysia is a multi-religious society and Islam is the official religion. According to the Population and Housing Census 2000 figures, approximately 60.4 percent of the population practice Islam. They observe the practice of a holy month (Ramadan), when fasting during daylight hours is mandatory, and abstain from pork, they pray five times a day and visit mosques frequently.
So, of course, their astronaut will have to follow the exact same rules in space. Furthermore, the government wants to make sure that he sticks to the rules. According to Malaysia's National Space Agency chief Mazlan Othman, the government prepared a booklet with rules and guidelines to be followed during the scientific mission organized by the Russians on the International Space Station in October.
Government officials declared that an Islamic code of conduct in space is necessary because few Muslims have embarked on such expeditions and there have been no standardized guidelines for them.
There are many religious aspects to be taken into account, so Malaysia held a forum for Islamic scholars in April 2006 to discuss problems Muslim space travelers might face.
For instance there is the problem of pinpointing the Saudi holy city of Mecca, which Muslims are expected face when they pray five times a day.
Or the fact that during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to go without food or water from sunrise to sunset. That will be a bit tricky, since the first Malaysian astronaut's stint will likely overlap with Ramadan, which starts in mid-September this year. The official bent the rules a bit and said that he "can choose to fast then or to make up for it when they return."
Another thing is the fact that if Muslim astronauts doubt whether a meal is halal, or prepared according to Islamic rules, they "should consume it only to the extent of restraining hunger," as the guidelines say.
Is seems that the fact that "the astronaut must be dressed decently whenever in public view, which involves covering at least the portion of the body between the navel and the knees for men" will not be a big problem when wearing the space suit.
Their conclusion summarizes the conduct code of the good Muslim: "Maintaining Islamic beliefs is mandatory for Muslims in every situation, time and place. Circumstances on the ISS which are different from circumstances on Earth are not an obstacle for an astronaut to fulfill a Muslim's obligations"
Since the two finalists, in the race for space, are both men, we are looking forward to the presence of a Muslim woman, from a Muslim country in space.