Saudi cleric claims Sun rotates around the Earth

A Saudi cleric has become the topic of discussion on Twitter after he rejected the scientific fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun, claiming the exact opposite and added that the Earth is stationary.

A video posted on YouTube shows Sheikh Bandar al-Khaibari answering students' questions and rejecting the centuries-old discovery that the Sun stays still, while Earth and other planets rotate around it.

When a student asked the cleric whether the Earth was stationary or moving, he replied "stationary and [it] does not move".

Then he went on to explain his theory while holding on to a sealed water cup and said: "First of all, where are we now? We go to Sharjah airport to travel to China by plane."

The cleric then asked the students to focus and continued, "This is Earth, if you say it rotates, if we leave Sharjah airport on international flight to China, the Earth is rotating right? So if the plane stands still in the air, wouldn't China be coming towards it?

"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."

The irony of his comment is that it came on the birthday of great astronomer Galileo Galilei.

The Italian astronomer was born on 15 February 1564, and has supported the Copernican theory that says the Earth and planets revolved around the Sun.

The cleric's answer triggered some hilarious responses with the hashtag #cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth on Twitter .

#cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth kindly read physics when u be sober after the tequila shots

— Moeed Ali Khan Naroo (@khanmoeed) February 17, 2015

Next theory:There is no such thing as gravity.The earth does not pull, its the sky that pushes us down!! #cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth — Inapproprate Tweep (@BrownWhovian) February 17, 2015

#cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth, the cleric is the one rotating around his own stupidity, go home cleric you're drunk

— Mrs Quickly (@VictoriaQuickly) February 17, 2015

#cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth !! Galileo is this weekend Birt. ,) — YaLcinSungar (@YaLcinSungar) February 17, 2015

#cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth made so laugh must be joke hello we are in 21st century they have proved that long time ago sorry u late!

— Eren (@CookKnife) February 17, 2015

#cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth Earth is not in rotation for him.just because he's brain already stopped! — Hayati ZENGiN (@hayatizengin) February 17, 2015