WISHFUL THINKING

Living in Wonderland

FIFTY YEARS ago on July 21, 1969, the American astronaut Neil Armstrong, became the first man to set foot on the moon. Armstrong continued working for NASA until 1971. Afterwards, he took up a job as a university professor at the University of Cincinnati. When Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, he famously said: ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. Another story about Armstrong was printed in the Malaysian newspaper Star (January 10, 1983), and the Sri Lankan Daily News (January 29, 1983).

The story spread like wildfire throughout the Muslim world. “The worldfamous astronaut Neil Armstrong,” read the Star caption, “was the First Man to set foot on the moon. He has since become a Muslim and the reason given was that when he first stepped on the moon, he heard a clear sound which was very clear to him and his companions. At that time, he thought his ears were playing tricks on him as he was rather excited and over-awed by his first experience on the moon. When he was sent on a lecture tour to various countries, one of the first places he visited was Cairo, Egypt, and he heard the same sound again. So, he asked the Egyptian companion nearest to him what the sound was. He was told that it was Azan, the call to prayer and the glorification of God. He was astounded for that was the same sound and the same words to the best of his memory that he heard on the moon. It was then that he decided to learn something about the religion and finally embraced Islam. As a result of that, he lost his coveted job. But, according to him, he had found God, and nothing else mattered.”

On reading these reports, the founder and President of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, wrote a letter to Mr. Armstrong, seeking his verification. In his reply, dated May 5, 1983, Mr. Armstrong categorically denied the truth of the reports. “Dear Mr. Khan,” he wrote. “Thank you for the courtesy of your letter. The reports of my conversion to Islam, of hearing the voice of Azan on the moon, and later in Cairo (I have never been in Egypt) are all untrue. Several magazines and newspapers in Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere have published these reports without verification. I apologize for any inconvenience that this incompetent journalism may have caused you. Sincerely, Neil A. Armstrong.”

The report had also implicated the American government, for it had been stated that on accepting Islam, Armstrong was promptly fired by the US Space Agency. American government took extensive measures to counter the report. American posts all over the world were told that there was nothing in the story. On May 12, 1983, a televised press conference was held in the American Centre, New Delhi, in which journalists were linked by telephone directly to Neil Armstrong’s office in Ohio so that they could hear his direct denial that he was a Muslim or had been sacked. He further made clear, according to the Hindustan Times report (May 13, 1983) that “he had never been exposed to Islamic teachings, nor had he read the Quran.”

How strange it is that Muslims have not discharged their responsibility to communicate the creation plan of God to Armstrong and others yet they are only too willing to concoct stories about their religion having conquered, not only the world, but the moon as well. Explaining the extra efforts made to ensure that the rumour was quashed, an official of the U.S. Information Ministry said: “A story like this is self-generating. It is intriguing to a Muslim. It can have a long shelf life.”

The reason that Muslims are so “intrigued” by stories of this nature is that they make them feel happy in the thought that Islam has conquered the world, and relieve them of any responsibility of conveying God's message to others. What will a people, who have nothing but wishful thinking and shunned responsibilities to offer, when they come before God?