Saudi prince says Islam proud of Malaysia spaceman
Saudi prince who was the first Muslim in space said on Sunday the Islamic world would be proud of a budding Malaysian astronaut and spoke of his religious observance while in orbit.

Malaysian physician Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor heads to Russia's International Space Station (ISS) on October 10 in a trip he hopes will spur his countrymen to build careers in the sciences.

Malaysia's move into the space field has raised its prestige in the Islamic world, especially in Saudi Arabia which houses Islam's holiest sites, applies strict Islamic law and tends to see global developments through the prism of religion.