Would there be any chance of survival?
That’s a concern for the General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments, or GAIAE, the United Arab Emirates’ religious watchdog, for anyone who wishes to travel to Mars. The GAIAE has issued a fatwa, or an official Islamic ruling, to warn Muslims against a Mars mission. The mission is being planned by the Dutch nonprofit foundation Mars One. In April 2013, it announced its ambitions to establish a human settlement on the Red Planet by 2025.
But the GAIAE likens the journey to a suicide mission. On the authority’s free 24-hour hotline, the issue was deliberated by the center’s specialized muftis, or scholars, who released the following statement: “It is not permissible to travel to Mars and never to return if there is no life on Mars. The chances of dying are higher than living.”
Taking one’s life willingly is against Islamic principles.
In response, Mars One issued a statement asking the UAE’s Islamic authorities to cancel the fatwa, saying every precaution would be taken to reduce the risk to life. “If we may be so bold: the GAIAE should not analyze the risk as they perceive it today,” the statement says. “The GAIAE should assess the potential risk for humans as if an unmanned habitable outpost is ready and waiting on Mars. Only when that outpost is established will human lives be risked in Mars One’s plan.”