Sure, there's a gorilla with a gun, but I'm worried about how homeboy is holding his drink. That's a spill waiting to happen!
I'm not sure. It's the first I've ever heard of it. The Western academic approach to Islamic studies is historically rooted in refuting Islam's credibility instead of objectively studying it, so you'll hear all sorts of wild assertions and conclusions that would make a five year old Muslim laugh. It may be improving these days, but I don't keep current with this stuff. Anyways, Mecca is literally in the Arabic text of the Quran, so it's not some translator filling in the gaps with interpretation:
The article you mentioned tries to be balanced with point and counterpoint. There are some sweeping assumptions being made in that article as well.
I will say that if Mecca was Petra, many historical events occurring between mecca and medina become impossible. Battle of Badr, Uhud, etc. The tribes involved in the above events also didn't reside in Petra.
It comes across as an outsider's fun little thought experiment. Very orientalist in its approach.
Are mecca and medina even in that circle? Yemen definitely isn't. Image is definitely false.
Breakfast is served
Off topic but I wish the body would automatically include a preview of the first few paragraphs of the Wikipedia entry.
Haha good one
Hahaha amazing!
Do you see a young woman or an old lady?
Cyberpop