Chris’s “Chris at Speaker’s Corner” YouTube channel can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisatspeakerscorner/videos

Mel’s “Islamic Origins” YouTube channel can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@IslamicOrigins/videos

In this live stream Chris (from “Chris at Speakers Corner” YouTube channel), Mel (from “Islamic Origins” YouTube channel) and Jay (from “Pfanderfilms” YouTube channel) challenge Muslims concerning the historical authenticity of the “Standard Islamic Narrative” (S.I.N.) that Mecca is the birthplace of civilization and an established point of pilgrimage both before Islam, and in the 7th century, when supposedly Islam began.

In the two-hour Live-stream they brought forward and answered 20 questions which they have found with the historical authority for Mecca, including:

1) What and why are the Muslim’s claims about Mecca (its history, its central place for Islam, etc.) 🕋 now supported by history?

2) What are the Geographical problems with Mecca (the Quran places it in Jordan, 600 miles too far north, etc.)?

3) if the first historical reference for Mecca isn’t until 741 AD, then why would this fact be so damaging?

4) The linguistic problems with Qur’anic Arabic located in Mecca (i.e. The Arabic of the Qur’an, which is Nabataean Aramaic, isn’t from Mecca, where they use Sabaic Arabic, but from about 600 miles further north)

5) According to the traditions, between 70-300 prophets are buried in Mecca. With all the construction in Mecca lately, why have none of them been dug up or found?

6) Why have none of the 11 civilizations surrounding Mecca ever heard of this city, while 8 more insignificant cities close by are all well known and well documented by these same civilizations?

7) What is wrong with the Muslim argument comparing Nazareth with Mecca historically?

8) Why do none of the archaic maps of Arabia have Mecca on them, and what other cities do they have instead?

9) How was William Montgomery Watt’s ‘Meccan Trade Route Theory’ completely debunked by Dr Patricia Crone in 1987?

10) How have we been able to debunk the Muslim’s ‘Red Sea trade route Theory’?

11) What is the historical and geographical significance of Mecca being in an inhospitable desert 🐪?

12) Why is the Muslim’s claim that Mecca’s ZamZam well provides “inexhaustible water” from Allah himself, not only problematic, but a patent lie, and where then does the ZamZam water actually come from?

13) Why has Dan Gibson’s recent Qibla findings proven that Mecca couldn’t have been a sanctuary until after 727 AD?

14) What are David King’s weakest Qibla arguments, and why is he now so angry?

15) What is the ‘Jerusalem Thesis’, and why does it discredit Mecca?

16) How can we prove that the Kaaba, the Safa and Marwah mountains, the Jamarat pillar, and the Black stone are all borrowed from other sources, and are not unique to Mecca?

17) Why is the 200 BC ‘Samaritan Asatir’ not an early reference for Mecca?

18) Why is the 1st century BC ‘Agatharchides quote by Diodorus’ not an early reference for Mecca?

19) Why is the 79 AD “Dabanegoris” reference by Pliny the Younger not an early support for Mecca?

20) Why is Ptolemy’s 147 AD reference to “Macoraba” not an early support for Mecca?

While the three of them weren’t able to cover all of the 20 questions above, due to time, they were able to respond to other questions asked by those watching the live-stream concerning the problems with the Qur’an’s history, its earliest manuscripts, and certain difficulties with Muhammad’s existence in the 7th century.

Chris, as moderator, gave the chance for any Muslims to query any of the responses the three of them were giving, even inviting any Muslims to debate the group, but after 2 hours no Muslims came forward, even though a number of them made their voices heard in the chat section.

It seems obvious that the historical problems with Mecca are proving difficult for Muslims to respond to, possibly because in order to respond they are going to have to find evidence for their holy city in the 7th century or before, a task which is proving to be nigh impossible.

© Pfander Centre for Apologetics – US, Feb.25, 2023
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