Medieval Christians were already debating icon veneration when confronted by Muslims
Evidence
These very same Saracens greatly abhor images, and they destroy pictures, and trample them, and fling them into filthy places. Indeed I heard that recently, after they captured the city of Tripoli, the Saracens dragged a crucifix on the tail of an ass, and threw all the foul things they could on the images. When indeed the Sultan Bendocar had taken the city and returned toward Damascus after his victory, I went to his army so that I might help out the captive [Christians]. And as I walking amongst the Army some Saracens called me and asked “why do you Christians adore pictures and images?” I responded to them “You are wrong, for Christians do not adore pictures or images, but they adore and venerate the saints who are in heaven, whom the pictures represent.” And they were silent, not knowing what more to say. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 1083
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- XREF: This anticipates the later Iconoclasm debate and connects to broader discussion of image prohibition in Islam — relevant to the reader’s general interest in religious cultural flashpoints.
Related
- Medieval polemicists framed Muslim image-abhorrence as savage iconoclasm (similarity 0.94)
- Muslims questioned Christians directly on image veneration (similarity 0.83)
- Medieval iconoclasm disputes ran on genuine mutual incomprehension across faiths (similarity 0.83)
- Eastern Christians venerated painted icons but abominated carved images (similarity 0.81)
- Image-veneration was a genuine doctrinal wedge between the two faiths (similarity 0.79)