Bandar Al-Khaybari, a preacher with the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Al-Madina, claimed that the Earth is fixed and does not revolve around itself, during a series of lectures held in the Sharjah emirate, between January 28 and 31. The lectures were posted on the Internet.

Sheikh Bandar al-Khaibari, answering questions from students at a university in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, told his audience the Earth is "stationary and does not move".

To prove his point, Mr Khaibari launched into a convoluted effort to explain his theory using the example of an airplane flying to China.

"If we leave Sharjah airport on an international flight to China... the Earth is rotating, right?" he asked sarcastically. "So, if the plane stops still on air, wouldn't China be coming towards it? True or not?"

"If the Earth rotates on the other direction, the plane will not be able to reach China, because China is also rotating as the plane rotates."