Police gaffe makes Muslims pray in wrong direction

Reuters ^ | April 13, 2007

[EveningStar]

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch police station trying to help Muslim detainees face Mecca for their prayers painted arrows in cells pointing in the wrong direction...

[EveningStar]

Misc ping
Tard ping

[RightWhale]

There was a problem with mosques in the US where the great circle says aim NE, but popular opinion said SE. Popular opinion wins almost every time.

[beckaz]

This calls for major media coverage and major reparations. (/sarc)

[Mrs.Z]

The true direction of their prayers is down.

[KJC1]

Bowing to the west...well, it’s a good thought anyway.

I wonder if there will be “peaceful demonstrations?”

[proudofthesouth]

LMAO! What a pity the earth hasn’t opened up and swallowed every last damn one of them!

[4yearlurker]

How could the Dutch police be so uninformed? I’ll bet they don’t even know the color of the prophet’s eyes.

[jazusamo]

Does this mean the worshipers won’t get their 72 virgins and a fatwa will be issued for the Dutch police?

[magoo70804]

Death to the Infidels!!!!

[billybudd]

I don’t give a s-— about the Muslims. Seriously, can you imagine any other group making these kinds of ridiculous demands of public institutions? I say kick ‘em all out. They’re a tiny country anyway; allowing all these crazies in is just asking for trouble.

[pax_et_bonum]

Hey, EveningStar!

[InvisibleChurch]

Even if you point west you still end up facing Mecca or whatever holy sand dune they pray towards, it’s just the long way around.

[TheBattman]

I’m sorry - but am I the only one that finds this to be hilarious?

[budwiesest]

I can’t even aim my satellite dish with any accuracy.

[hinckley buzzard]

good police work.

[EveningStar]

This happened in Holland.

[EveningStar]

Hey, pax! :)

[buccaneer81]

How could the Dutch police be so uninformed? I’ll bet they don’t even know the color of the prophet’s eyes.

You mean... you know the color of The Prophet's (Piss be upon him) eyes?

Infidel!! Off with your head! ;-)

[muawiyah]

Think of it this way, you have a bunch of Moslems who have left it up to Christians to select the direction of prayer.

Next they'll be eating ham sandwiches and liking them.

[EveningStar]

I’m sorry - but am I the only one that finds this to be hilarious?

No. :)

[Gondring]

There are PDA programs, etc., to help with this. I wonder if they account for “Popular Opinion Declination” when they calculate the great circle direction!

[saganite]

LOL! Sure they did. wink, wink

[HereInTheHeartland]

” painted arrows in cells pointing in the wrong direction...”

Good one, someone over there has a sense of humor.

Just wait until they find out that the police supplied prayer rugs have strips of pigskin woven in.

[Fred Hayek]

Have the arrows point toward Jerusalem. Or Rome.

[petertare]

Just tragic. Provide panties for headdress as compensation.

[EveningStar]

;)

[TADSLOS]

Here’s something to ponder- Does a muzzie who is doing his daily prayers to the moon god from a point just east of Mecca, say, 50 feet and within sight of it, still face East and away from the obelisk, or face West and directly towards it? Just askin’...

[RightWhale]

They might well be up to date now on GPS and everything like Google-earth since they are thoroughly contaminated with Westernism here in the USA whether they know it or not. Something had to be worked out at NASA for the ISS too, although I don’t know what the imams decided.

[wentali]

arrows in cells pointing in the wrong direction



I vote for "Down'.

[mborman]

Oh, no!

They should have painted the arrows in the direction of the sewer system.

[petertare]

Just tragic. Provide panties for headdress as compensation.

[EveningStar]

ping

[Kakaze]

You mean, allah, the great all knowing reward giving bugger didn't intervene and magically fix those arrows/

Huh guess he's not so all powerful then.

[martin_fierro]

[kjo]

Clearly, this was no mistake. It’s racism. I understand the Revs. Al and Jesse will be demanding reparations.

[Gondring]

Something had to be worked out at NASA for the ISS too, although I don’t know what the imams decided.

DOWN (i.e., toward earth) seems appropriate. Was there any question?

[USS Alaska]

Here’s something to ponder- Does a muzzie who is doing his daily prayers to the moon god from a point just east of Mecca, say, 50 feet and within sight of it, still face East and away from the obelisk, or face West and directly towards it? Just askin’..

It depends on how tight his bomb belt is fastened.

[Darth Hillary]

Praying in the wrong direction - That’s so gay!

[Non-Sequitur]

Are they sure it was a misake?

[RichInOC]

Well? They’re still facing Mecca...just the other way around.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Hey, Mac, which way to Mecca?

[rod1]

That is true if one assumes the earth is round. Of course the importance of Muslims having to pray in the correct direction (toward Mecca) wasprobably instituted by mullahs who thought the world was flat and there was only one option for direction.

[EveningStar]

I know! Give that cop a medal! :)

[pepperdog]

“a fatwa will be issued for the Dutch police?”

You think there is actually a group that they haven’t issued one of their Fat-Wahs against? I doubt it. Who keeps track of those things anyway? Is there a Fat-Wah board that dates and numbers them, perhaps stamps them accomplished at some point?

[Hugin]

Once we destroy Mecca and ban Islam, the issue will be moot.

[RightWhale]

Yes, there was a question. Without knowing how they figured it out, I would assume the direction would be forward in the direction of the orbit although it isn’t a major issue in reality. The time of the prayer has apparently been resolved with a PDA program.

[wgflyer]

“Bowing to the west...”

Hmmmmm.....if they were bowing to the west, what exactly might they have been pointing at Mecca?

[NautiNurse]

A Dutch police station trying to help...
The Segbroek police station in The Hague borrowed the idea

Things like this always happen when you allow the station, rather than those who work in it, to make decisions.

[Albertafriend]

The quran actually teaches that the earth is flat and some “scholars” in Saudi still teach this. However since the earth is round you can face any direction and still draw a direct line to Mecca or any other place.