Early medieval Christians showed no curiosity about Saracen religion

Evidence

In a Europe continually ravaged by war and invasions, the Saracens were one among a number of non-Christian interlopers. Christian European writers showed little curiosity about the religion of these invaders, be they Saracens, Vikings, or Magyars. They all seemed to be part of the terrible tribulations through which God was putting his people; none provoked (it seems) the slightest suggestion that its religious beliefs and practices could be worth investigating—much less imbued with the slightest legitimacy. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 446

Categorization

• XREF: Grounds the reader’s existing claims about the genealogy: the absence of interest in Islam as religion (vs. later fascination-to-demonize) marks the phase before more elaborated anti-Islamic polemic.