Religion really is an excellent way to micro-manage lives

[Grim Reaper]

Indonesian Muslims told to change prayer direction

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's Muslims learned on Friday they have been praying in the wrong direction, after the country's highest Islamic authority said its directive on the direction of Mecca actually had people facing Africa.

Muslims are supposed to face the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia during prayer and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict in March stipulating westward was the correct direction from the world's most populous Muslim country.

"But it has been decided that actually the mosques are facing Somalia or Kenya, so we are now suggesting people shift the direction slightly to the north-west," the head of the MUI, Cholil Ridwan, told Reuters. "There's no need to knock down mosques, just shift your direction slightly during prayer."

Ridwan said Muslims need not fear that their prayers have been wasted because they were facing the wrong way.

"Their prayers will still be heard by Allah," he said.

Said Agil Siradj, head of Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation Nahdlatul Ulama, told English language newspaper the Jakarta Globe that the confusion showed the MUI issued edicts too fast and that this was a lesson for them.

The MUI has, in the past, issued controversial edicts banning Muslims from chanting during yoga, and from smoking.

Indonesia is a majority Muslim but officially secular country.

Apparently it matters more that you think you're facing the right direction, not that you actually are.

[Gob]

Indonesian Muslims told to change prayer direction


Ridwan said Muslims need not fear that their prayers have been wasted because they were facing the wrong way.

"Their prayers will still be heard by Allah," he said.

The lunacy of religion. At least he did tell them an omnipotent being had missed their prays as they were misaligned with Mecca, now that would have been funny!!

[loCAtek]

This reminds me of a SF story I read, which I have no way in Hell of remembering who wrote it or even the title of it, but I digress... that had space-faring Muslims spinning to even face the Earth!

[Gob]

Cos God's like that, he gets really shirty if you don't face the right direction when praying to him...

[loCAtek]

Juss cos that's all you see of God, doesn't mean that's all there is.

I can believe you, or I can believe my own eyes.

[Gob]

I'm not asking you to believe me, Lo.

You want to believe in fairy tales, be my guest.

[loCAtek]

Good, because I didn't say that I believed in fairy tales; I said I believed in spirituality.

In order for me to believe spirituality was fairy tales, I'd have to believe you, thank dogness- I don't.