Since the first close up pictures of Mars were taken in 1965 the western scientific world has been fascinated with the 'Red Planet'. Its proximity to the earth and being the nearest unexplored planet have made it a focus of fascination for western film producers, fiction writers and scientists alike. But the main source of curiosity and intense excitement has been surrounding the so called similarities that this planet could have with our own. There has been a widespread campaign to educate the masses that conditions on Mars at some stage in its history could have been similar to those found on earth when life first appeared. The Mars Program, initiated by NASA, has developed an exploration strategy known as 'Follow the Water'. Their scientists believe that the discovery of water can lead to a stronger possibility that life could have formed on Mars, since water is the pre-requisite for life to appear and then to develop, via the process of evolution.

So the search has been relentless, and globally publicised, with endless new leads fuelling the expectation to discover life. All types of space telescopes, surveillance capsules and even vehicles on the surface of the planet have been hunting for dry riverbeds, ice in the polar caps, water-cut rock forms or any other indication to prove that water once flowed on Mars. There is a widely acclaimed theory amongst the NASA scientists investigating the planet that a vast ocean once existed in the Northern hemisphere. But the theory claims that since then Mars has undergone a dramatic change in its conditions to become the dry and dusty planet that we see today.

In their objectives to investigate Mars, NASA state that their primary goal is to 'Determine if Life ever arose on Mars'. To this end millions of dollars and the latest technology have been invested. It is estimated that in financial year 2004 $570 million will be exclusively spent on Mars exploration.

Early missions to Mars consisted merely of 'flybys'; spacecraft merely flying by Mars and taking as many pictures as possible. These included Mariner 3-4 and Mariner 6-7. Then Orbiters came in to play, spacecraft orbiting around the planet and taking more comprehensive pictures. Present day explorers include Landers and Rovers and future means of exploration may include airplanes, balloons, subsurface explorers and sample returners.

This year two powerful new Mars rovers are on their way to the red planet, these robots will be able to trek up to 40 metres across the surface of the planet in one Martian day. Using images and spectra data beamed daily from the rovers, scientists will be able to command the vehicles to go to rocks and soil targets of interest and evaluate their composition and their texture at microscopic scales. Of course their primary concern would be to continue to pursue their quest to discover water on the planet.

As mentioned, scientists believe that the discovery of water or the remnants of water existing in the past, could ultimately lead to the discovery of life on Mars. This is in keeping with the widely accepted but largely flawed theory of evolution. The theory of evolution states that life began spontaneously in water in the form of microbial organisms, which over millions if not billions of years evolved to animals that lived in the sea and ultimately to all living organisms, include humans. This theory was founded by Charles Darwin in the nineteenth century and speculates based upon some loosely connected assumptions that the origin of life emerged from water and evolved through mutation and natural selection.

We tolerate all beliefs - but promote only one

The West prides itself on the concept of freedom of belief with regards to the unseen and origins of life. Western society is presented as being tolerant and pluralistic where all religious beliefs and beliefs about the origin of man are tolerated, as long as they remain outside worldly affairs.

But if one were to examine the application of this claim, it would become apparent that every strata of secular society only allows one predominant idea about the origin of man and life to be given any credibility. The idea of freedom of belief exists only on a personal level, but on societal level it is evident that there is only one idea relating to the origin of life that is presented as the strongest, and it follows that over time the goal is to penetrate this view through the masses.

The Mars exploration programs are a clear example of how the western governments only want the theory of evolution, which is merely a theory, to be the widely accepted concept about the origin of life. This is what is universally taught almost as fact in all state curriculum schools, and the scientific world continues to attempt to patch over the gaping flaws in the theory by regularly presenting new 'supporting evidence'. In addition to this, the idea that the unseen creator created life from nothing and sustains it as he wishes, is not only ignored from credible scientific consideration, but also ridiculed in the wider media as being scientific naivety.

So considering the quest to search for life on Mars, it is being proposed to the world that if water can be discovered on Mars, then the discovery of life can surely follow because this is how evolution works. So implicitly what is being broadcast to the masses by means of the publicity surrounding the search for life on Mars is that evolution is the only basis by how the origin of life could occur, and the search for life is dependent upon the conditions required for the evolutionary process to have begun.

It should be pointed out that even though there have been many discoveries about Mars and the planets features, there has yet been no evidence to support that water or evolution ever existed on the planet. So the insistence on continuing to search for life by searching for evolution is also serving the purpose of being a campaign to reject all opposing views to the origin of life by not giving them any consideration.

It is in fact inconceivable to think that NASA would announce to the world that they have failed to find any evidence that life on Mars could have originated from evolution and that evolution itself has major flaws as a theory, so they are considering the view that God created the universe and placed life where he chose.

Hence, it can be seen that the Mars campaign is another example in a series of attempts by the West to subjugate the world to its mode of thought. The 'ape to man' theory is still presented as fact, though the so called 'missing link' has never been found. The 'big bang' theory is used to explain the unknown facts regarding how the world came into being, but fails to explain the origin of the so-called 'hot gases' that caused the big bang. The 'survival of the fittest' another theory, though has some logic and has some scientific basis, merely proposes how certain characteristics within a species, which emerged due to random mutations, may have favoured survival hence the species evolved into a new superior one over time. But they fail to explain why there is no fossil evidence to show the transition of species through this process, but there is fossil evidence to show distinct species having existed and then become extinct.

It is true to say that scientific developments have continued to progress under the guardianship of the West and the understanding of the physical, chemical and biological fields has tremendously developed. However the west has stubbornly ignored the rational evidence that the creator, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) created man, life and all that exists. Western society continues to dupe the masses by presenting weak scientific theories as the only credible possibility to the origin of life and the universe.

There is abundant evidence on Mars about the origin of life

The Islamic viewpoint on man, life and all existence is based on rational thought and is consistent with the reality. The existence of creation itself is evidence of the existence of the creator. The arrogance of the Western scientists leaves them in a position that they are not willing to accept the strongest explanation. The Muslim when he looks to creation; Life, the Earth, the Stars and the Planets including Mars, sees the power and magnificence of the creator of the Universe; Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) and is aware that nothing other than the all powerful creator is capable of creating, organising and sustaining the universe.

In the future when the balance of power returns to the Muslims via the establishment of the Khilafah state, and the Muslims commence on travel through the universe, then the exploration of planets such as Mars will serve to further strengthen the belief in the existence of the creator. And such missions will be used to project to the world that all views other than the rational conclusion that the universe was created by Allah, hold no intellectual credence. But rather than offering no factual evidence, every photograph and rock sample will be used as evidence to debate with the world how their existence could only have originated from Allah's creation.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) says:

'Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of night and day, these are indeed signs for men of understanding.' [ Ale-Imran: 190]

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) also says:

'And of his signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Behold! Herein indeed are signs for men of knowledge' [ Ar-Rum: 22]

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) is ordering mankind to contemplate on the creation and belief should be based on fact, the proof of which is all around us, all we need to do is reflect over it.

Muslims should not be weakened by the relentless campaign waged by the west to cover up the truth about the origin of life and the universe, but they should continue to strengthen their belief by the correct rational contemplation.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala) says:

'Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sends down form the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth are signs (of Allah's sovereignty) for people who have sense.' [ Al-Baqarah: 164]

Qaiser Malik