London Olympic Organizers Making Sure Some Toilets Don't Face Mecca

The Jawa Report has this story on the preparations for the 2012 Olympics in London:

I assume that there is a rule written somewhere that says Muslims must turn their heads away from the holy city of Mecca when they defecate.

LONDON -- Olympic organizers issued detailed design rules for the 2012 London games Wednesday, including a mandate that at least some toilets in the Olympic park do not face the holy Islamic city of Mecca.

The fact that the Muslims are imposing design restrictions is troubling since the whole issue should be moot if one acknowledges that the Earth is a sphere.

Mecca sits at approximately 40 degrees E. longitude and 20 degrees N. latitude and on the other side of the Earth, straight through the core, sits Tahiti (approximate enough for discussion purposes). Now, for a Tahitian toilet to face Mecca, it would have to be mounted on the wall, facing downward toward the center of the Earth. Obviously, a wall-mounted toilet would not be functional.

Also, in Britain, at 0 degrees longitude, a toilet would have to be tilted 40 degrees from the plane of the floor to face Mecca. Chances are that a user would find it difficult to defecate at a 40 degree down angle.

So, if a respected Islamic scholar could rule that the Earth is not flat and it's impossible to face Mecca at most points on the planet, the dumb defecation requirement can be repealed.

Ah, but the Muslims haven't moved much beyond the 14th century when the status of the earth was still in question. That's the flat earth they wish us all to return to.