I stayed at JNU for two days with a Muslim friend, whose brother and cousin are also students here. They told me a surprising story from their time at Aligarh Muslim University. A few years ago, all students were gathered for a lecture by a mullah (an Islamic religious leader). The students were initially unsure what to expect, but the lecture turned out to be a tirade against America rather than a discussion on Islam. The mullah spoke about Sunita Williams, an astronaut of Indian origin who flew to space under NASA’s program in 2006.

He claimed that while she was in space, looking down at Earth, she saw the entire planet in darkness except for two places—Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam. According to him, these cities shone brightly, like stars, while the rest of the Earth remained dark. This, he argued, was a miracle from Allah, demonstrating that Allah is supreme and that Islam is the only true religion. The mullah asserted that after witnessing this “miracle,” Sunita, along with six other astronauts she was working with in space, became deeply devoted to Islam.

When they returned to Earth, they converted to Islam. The mullah claimed that the American government disapproved of their conversion and took action against them, leading to the disappearance of Sunita and the other six astronauts. While the mullah did not provide details about what happened to them, it was implied that their disappearance was a result of their conversion to Islam and the American government’s disapproval. My friend said the mullahs were extremely agitated and loud while sharing this story.

The mullah claimed that Sunita was frequently featured on Indian TV before and shortly after her space mission. However, he asserted that she disappeared from the media shortly after her return. The mullah questioned the students about Sunita’s whereabouts and suggested that her disappearance was due to her discovery that Mecca and Medina were the most radiant cities on Earth and her subsequent conversion to Islam. He implied that the American government was responsible for her and the other astronauts’ disappearance because of their conversion.

This claim infuriated many students, and even my friend, who is pursuing a PhD, believed the mullah’s story. I was taken aback that someone so educated could accept such a fantastical tale. I knew the story was false, so I decided to show him some information online. I already knew that Las Vegas is famously known as one of the most brightly lit cities on the planet, and I shared that with him. While he pretended to reject the mullah’s story after reading the Wikipedia article on Las Vegas, it was clear that he still leaned towards believing the mullah’s narrative.

I recall that my friend once told me it was his dream to witness the complete destruction of America before he dies. When I asked him why, he recounted several grievances related to America’s actions in Israel, Afghanistan, and Iraq. I don’t understand why some religious leaders engage in such behavior. What drives them to spread false information and involve themselves in politics? They should recognize that these actions contribute to the decline in religious participation.

Religion itself isn’t inherently problematic, but it becomes problematic when it is led by individuals who exploit it for their own agendas. For instance, some of my Christian friends mentioned that, historically, churches in the West used to issue certificates of forgiveness for sins in exchange for money. Practices like these erode people’s faith and lead them to question the authenticity of religious institutions. Religious leaders need to understand that their actions have significant consequences, and such practices can undermine the credibility of their faith and institutions.

They should realize that their actions are not beneficial to religion; rather, they will have a profoundly negative impact in the future. With the rapid spread of information and the increasing accessibility of the internet, their misleading practices will come under scrutiny. As people gain more knowledge and question these actions, these leaders will find themselves without valid answers. They should see this as a warning sign and recognize the potential dangers of continuing down this path.