'Mars One' vows to defy fatwa by sending people to space

A space exploration company is planning to send four people on a one-way trip to Mars to fight against the fatwa issued by Islamic authorities which mentions that the trip was akin to suicide.

Bas Lansdorp, the co-founder and CEO of Mars One, has disagreed with the fatwa and cited that there is a long history of exploration and scientific learning in the Muslim world as well, Fox News reported.

He said that the Muslim world had a rich tradition of exploration for centuries and the mission to Mars is a road that has never been walked before.

Lansdorp added that his company would like to inform the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates about elements of the Mars One mission that reduce the risk to human life as much as possible.

He claimed that the first settlers will be walking in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Neil Armstrong or any of the other great explorers in history.

The GAIAE recently banned Muslims from participating in the mission and took the issue with Mars One's plan by calling it tantamount to suicide.

The fatwa said that such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam and there is a possibility that an individual who travels to Mars may not be able to remain alive there, and is more vulnerable to death.