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A one-way journey to Mars is not appropriate under Islam, according to a new edict issued by a fatwa committee. The committee is under the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates. 

The Khaleej Times reported that the fatwa came to Mars One - a Dutch nonprofit who is seeking to establish a permanent Martian colony. The organization has screened more than 200,000 applications for its four-person, one-way trip to Mars that is scheduled for 2024. 

"Such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam. There is a possibility that an individual who travels to planet Mars may not be able to remain alive there, and is more vulnerable to death," said the committee which was quoted by The Khaleej Times. 

The GAIAE also warned those who opt to take this journey are likely to die with any "righteous reason." 

"If we may be so bold: the GAIAE should not analyze the risk as they perceive it today. The GAIAE should assess the potential risk for humans as if an unmanned habitable outpost is ready and waiting on Mars. Only when that outpost is established will human lives be risked in Mars One's plan," Mars One said in response to the fatwa. 

The fatwa is not being welcomed by some Muslim scholars. 

"The lack of scientific knowledge among the religious scholars on such bodies, most of whom are traditionally learned older sheikhs who have not obtained a science education in the way a normal western student does," Khaleel Mohammed, assistant professor of Religion at the San Deigo State University told the Monitor.

"This type of religious ruling, while coming forth as the extremist nonsense that it actually is, seems to have a totally different intent," added Mohammed.