I'm sure his arrest was merely "until he repented of his heresy" and quite justified. The heresy, of course, has little to do with the astronomy and rather was his add-on claim that his findings proved Holy Scripture to be errant.
Heresy is all relative based on a persons religion. For example, if you are a believer that the world is round and orbits around the earth, then you are a heretic in the Muslim world. According to one of the most respected Muslim scholars, Sheikh Abd-al-Aziz Ibn Abd-Allah Ibn Baaz (yes a member of the rather large Saudi Arabian Royal Family), in 1993 he issued a Fatwa declaring the following:
"The world is flat. Anyone of the round persuasion does not believe in God and should be punished."
This conclusion was reached through extensive studies of the Koran and Ahadith. Although after few years and merciless ridicule by the Egyptian press, he changed his statement to say that the world may not be flat but the sun Does in fact rotate around the earth and the earth is motionless.
Keep in mind that in 1985 Prince Sultan Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud (also of the rather large Saudi Arabian Royal Family) flew as a payload specialist on the space shuttle Discovery, and obviously SAW the round earth and its relation to the sun.
So, to all you infidel heretics out there that do not believe in God, be careful you might be punished.
Phil
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