The Ministry of Religion has done a survey of Mosques in Indonesia and has determined that at least 20% of them are getting worshipers to face in the wrong direction. Muslims are required to face Mecca when they pray no matter where on the globe (or presumably in the galaxy) they are.
It seems that the majority of the Mosques that are in error are also located in areas that have frequently suffered earthquakes. Nevertheless, the Ministry has suggested that rather than wholesale renovations, or the tearing down of Mosques, that the responsible parties make the necessary corrections by informing worshipers that they need to face in a slightly different direction in order to be facing Mecca.
The Ministry survey team relied on the use of GPS devices to plot the exact location of Mecca relevant to each Mosque.
This "oops" moment follows close on the heels of a statement from Mutoha Arkanuddin, an Islamic scholar, who claimed that as many as 80% of Indonesian mosques and graves (for Muslims) were not facing in the 'right' direction.
I am not a Muslim, so I really do not know how big a deal this is in the big scheme of things. But, I would imagine that if you were the family member of a Muslim whose grave was facing in the wrong direction, the you are like to be a little concerned about what this means for your deceased loved one.
I wonder if there is going to be widespread exhuming and repositioning of loved ones with the use of GPS?
4 comments:
It is a concern but it was far more interesting watching the "powers that be" decide the correct direction for the first Muslim in space (The Malaysian Bloke):-).
Of course, I have always wondered seeing how we live on a ball, at a certain distance it has to be more logical to turn around and face the other way.
I suppose if you keep going around the earth you might eventually hit Mecca - or the tectonic plates may more enough so that you do.
I can't believe that the Minister is wasting tax payer money on this.
Stump...
Deep, very deep!
Brett...
It is not like this is the most stupid thing that Indonesian ministers have wasted tax payers' money on, is it?
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