"Mecca, the Centre of the Earth, Theory and Practice"
Forget GMT, its being replaced with Fatwah Time. This change moves the Greenwich Meridian a little to the east but the clocks go back five or six hundred years…
Muslim scientists and clerics have called for the adoption of Mecca time to replace GMT, arguing that the Saudi city is the true centre of the Earth … The call was issued at a conference held in the Gulf state of Qatar under the title: Mecca, the Centre of the Earth, Theory and Practice.
One geologist argued that unlike other longitudes, Mecca's was in perfect alignment to magnetic north. He said the English had imposed GMT on the rest of the world by force when Britain was a big colonial power, and it was about time that changed.
A prominent cleric, Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawy, said modern science had at last provided evidence that Mecca was the true centre of the Earth; proof, he said, of the greatness of the Muslim "qibla" - the Arabic word for the direction Muslims turn to when they pray.
Now aside from all of the Catholic propaganda, if just some of what they taught me at school is correct, matters such as longitude, latitude & indeed time itself, weren’t finally settled until the Age of Enlightenment. This is where I run into difficulties ... when the likes of Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawy start talking about “modern science” given that if nothing else, over the last few years the Mohammedans have proven conclusively that both their religion & society remains inextricably bogged down in the Middle Ages.
Of course, its nice to hear of this c/o the al-BBC. Its the sort of twaddle quality content can only be brought to you by the unique way that the BBC is funded.
Comments
Yeah, except magnetic north is not a fixed point. The magnetic pole moves.
Posted by: Joseph | April 22, 2008 7:57 AM
One geologist argued that unlike other longitudes, Mecca's was in perfect alignment to magnetic north.
Can't be much of a geologist then, can he?
Anyone with a basic grasp of navigation/geography/earth sciences knows, the location of the magnetic pole changes in both longitude and latitude. So unless Mecca is mobile, floating around the Arabian desert like some sort of dusty Brigadoon, it will only be in "perfect alignment" with magnetic north occasionally. Just like many other places.
Strange how the brain boxes at al-Beeb didn't oick that one up.
Posted by: The Remittance Man | April 22, 2008 8:21 AM
Actually, there used to be a pillar box on the corner of our street that was not only aligned to magnetic north, it was also aligned to grid north, but obviously only in the summer. In the winter, it was aligned to the south. It was a very magical pillar box because letters postred there could find there way to anywhere in the world.
As if that wasn't enough of a miracle, if the sun was at the equinox on a day with a 'y' in it, it was also possible to use it as a sundial and if you stood on top of it, you could see over Mr Henderson's garden wall.
I fervently call upon the academics of the world to join me in a campaign to declare it a Site of Special Scientific Interest and we should realign all maps, compasses and clocks in the known world to point to it.
Posted by: Gweilicus | April 22, 2008 10:04 AM
This is the best news I've heard all week. Now they can stop pretending they have any interest in Jerusalem.
When are they moving out of the Holy Land?
DoubleTapper
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DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel
Posted by: DoubleTapper | April 22, 2008 9:45 PM
Seems to me that an Englishman invented a portable timepiece that was both accurate enough and rugged enough to carry on sea voyages lasting for years. This allowed navigators for the first time to "fix longitude". Since the prime observatory of the country that figured out how to do this was the keeper of the time standards, it made sense to make it the zero longitude. No country is required by force of law or anything else to go along with this idea. All are free to make their own maps. The French did it for decades. Now, if a Muslim had been able to create a decent maritime chronometer, it would have been their privilege to set Mecca as the Prime Meridian. Didn't happen that way.
I suppose that to make sure they have everything tied up neat and tidy, they could also declare Mecca's latitude to be Zero, therefore moving the Equator to them. They could also declare the value of Pi to be exactly 3.0, rather than 3.14159265 et cetera. It sure would make spherical trigonometry a lot easier to solve by pencil!
Communist China might have something to say about this whole problem. They still believe that Tienanmen Square is the "center of the Earth", if not the center of the universe.
Posted by: Bob in San Diego | April 23, 2008 10:46 AM
FWIW: I checked with Wikipedia and Google earth. The N magnetic pole is moving approximately toward the north pole at a rate of about 40 km/yr. Based on its current position, a line drawn from the North pole through the North magnetic pole, passes closest to Ely NV, US. On the other side, it goes through Siberia, western China, Tibet, and Eastern India. Nowhere near Mecca.
Useless informational tidbit of the day.
Posted by: Billll | April 27, 2008 3:16 AM
Is it time for Saudi Arabia to become a colonial power? I guess I will have to set my watch back 300 years.
NOT.
Posted by: Cricket | May 2, 2008 6:58 PM
SaudiArabians,colonial power in Afganistan/Pakistan...
When the saudi took Mecca 1925,flipped arabia to saudi-arabia,mecca was moved further from the people of the gospel and torah in Jewrusalaam@the Dawn of 20th Century.
The People of the Books:..:..:Greek:Latin:Arabiafrom the Home of the Brave@American.0j0Mecca[]being the center of the universality of Numbers on Earth,all Theory and Practice flow out from the square abraham set upon the zero@Mecca Thousands of years and counting.
The split@Ahraham 12+12+24the foundation of the city of Peace Jewrusalaam.
0 then the 1 upon the zero=4evrlasting.
The square upon the circle.
Communications the mother of all resources!
Interpretation the Mother of Chaos!
take care the ones you love.
Ecoavila go your own way!
From the electromagnetic Capital of the universe Arecibo Obs006USA
Posted by: ecoavila | October 6, 2008 11:46 PM