Ricoldo’s public polemic masked a privately favorable view of Islam

Evidence

This alludes to Islamic laws of fasting, prayer etc. They were easier than the Christian, but might be easier yet; Ric. added that they were not observed anyway. This was for the sake of the argument; his true opinion, derived from personal observation, was much more favourable to Islam. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2220

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader theme of anti-Islamic polemic as formulaic convention rather than sincere belief, echoed in colonial and missionary writing about other faiths.