Alan of Lille explained Islam’s spread as carnal seduction, not military conquest

Evidence

Inspired by a malign spirit, he invented an abominable sect consonant with carnal delights, not dissonant with delights of carnal men. For this reason, many carnal men are seduced by his sect, thrown into the abyss through various errors, miserably they have perished and continue to perish. These men are in the common vernacular called pagans or Saracens. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 881

Categorization

• XREF: The ‘carnal delights’ explanation of why people convert to Islam is a direct ancestor of modern tropes of Muslim sensuality/lechery documented in the vault — concrete genealogical grounding.