AL-HIKMAT - THE WISDOM WEBSITE Serving the Muslim and Non-Muslim Community for the past 28 years, through the distribution of publications, DVD's, CD's, radio & TV shows, lectures, seminars, dialogues etc.,establishing tolerance and better understanding among different faiths and cultures. AL QUR'AAN Ch: 16 V: 125 “Invite To the Way of Thy Lord With Hikmat” (Wisdom).
WASHINGTON, May 13 (Bernama)— The Islamic Shura Council of Southern California has awarded Malaysia’s first astronaut, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the Peace Award for his extraordinary effort in promoting Islam in science. Council executive director, Dr Shakeel Syed said Dr Muszaphar had stressed the importance of performing his ‘ibadah’ (religious obligations) even while carrying out his work as an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS). "As an astronaut who did his work in the most professional manner while working alongside astronauts of other faiths, he did not forget his identity as a Muslim. "He made us feel very proud of what he has accomplished, a perfect role model for other Muslims, an ambassador of Islam in the 21st century," he told Bernama in a telephone interview from Anaheim, California today. The council is the umbrella organisation of 250 mosques and several Muslim associations in California. There are roughly one million Muslims in California. This year, the council invited Dr Muszaphar to deliver the keynote address at its 15th annual dinner celebration on Sunday (yesterday). The Council has also arranged for him to meet other astronauts and scientists and tour the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) run by NASA (National Aeronautics Space Agency) in Pasadena, meet college students at Cal State University and elementary schooled children. Dr Syed said he heard about Dr Muszaphar after reading a newspaper article published in California about a Malaysian Muslim astronaut who was concerned about how he would pray while on the space station and fasting while in orbit. Malaysia held a gathering of world Muslim scientists and scholars to create a guideline for future Muslim astronauts to perform their ‘ibadah’. Dr Muszaphar, the ninth Muslim astronaut told Bernama over the phone that he was pleasantly surprised to receive the award after delivering his keynote address to Muslims in the state. He said his goals were to promote the space programme in Malaysia with the eventual launching of a Malaysian-made rocket by 2020, persuade the eight other Muslim astronauts to come together and promote Islam in a peaceful and constructive way with the goal of strengthening Muslim unity.
—BERNAMA.COM - Malaysia National News Agency
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Serving the Muslim and Non-Muslim Community for the past 28 years, through the distribution of publications, DVD's, CD's, radio & TV shows, lectures, seminars, dialogues etc.,establishing tolerance and better understanding among different faiths and cultures. AL QUR'AAN Ch: 16 V: 125 “Invite To the Way of Thy Lord With Hikmat” (Wisdom).