What did he say? Saudi cleric confidently tells academic that the Earth does NOT rotate
A SAUDI cleric has been ruthlessly mocked for claiming the Earth does NOT revolve in space.
Twitter users flocked to ridicule Sheikh Bandar al-Khaibari who used a convoluted explanation – as well as visual aids – to try and disprove two thousand years of scientific research.
If the Earth rotates in the opposite direction, the plane will not be able to reach China
Footage emerged of a student asking Sheikh al-Khaibari whether the Earth was stationary or moving.
The Saudi Sheikh confidently told the young academic the Earth is "stationary and does not move".
Supporting his theory, the Sheikh used an example involving air travel: "We go to Sharjah airport to travel to China by plane, clear?
"Focus with me, this is Earth" – the cleric is then filmed holding a cup to represent the planet – "if you say that it rotates.
"If we leave Sharjah airport on an international flight to China. The Earth is rotating, right?"
(The Sheikh starts to slowly turn his impromptu prop)
"So if the plane stops still in the air, wouldn't China be coming towards it? True or not?
"If the Earth rotates in the opposite direction, the plane will not be able to reach China – because China is also rotating as the plane rotates,” he explained.
So we reached a point where we are debating basic knowledge #?????_????_?????_?????
— ???? (@hudateddy) February 15, 2015#?????_????_?????_????? What a coincidence that this would occur on Galileo's birthday!
— Häyät Al-Ma'arri? (@TheBoominati) February 15, 2015What's next ?? The winds are earth farts ??? #cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth
— Asad Azeemi (@4nt1sw4g) February 17, 2015One twitter user called the explanation a "revolutionary theory about earth rotation".
Another mocked the cleric, writing: "Forget revolution. Do you know earth is actually at the center of the universe" (sic).
"U guys @NASA are wasting your time," jeered another user.
One Twitter user wrote: "So we reached a point where we are debating basic knowledge."
WATCH THE FULL EXPLANATION BELOW:
Saudi cleric rejects that Earth revolves around the Sun
Aleemuddeen Khan tweeted: "Now I understand why women not allowed to drive cars."
But Twitter user Muhammad Irfan defended Sheikh al-Khaibari, writing: "Earth rotation is a theory not a law."
The video emerged on the anniversary of the birth of Galileo Galilei, who championed the idea that the Earth is not the centre of the universe and instead revolves around the Sun.
The man dubbed 'The Father of Modern Physics' was forced to spend nine years under house arrest for his beliefs.
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel submitted proof that the Milky Way does not revolve around the Earth in 1838.
