Sodomy accusations were a standard smear weapon against rival groups

Evidence

The accusations against the Order under this head seem to be those usually made when it is wished to discredit any group of men, and especially religious orders. On the other hand, the accusations of obscene initiation ceremonies, whether true or untrue, were the invention of somebody’s prurient schoolboy mentality, but these too have no parallel in the more adult and practical accusations made against Islam. — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2184 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Sodomy accusations functioned as a stock smear against disfavored groups — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2184; Accusations of monstrous sodomy justified colonial expansion against Jews, Africans, and Muslims — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 753; Accusations of sodomy historically justified colonial conquest and enslavement — Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imagination, 753 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Sodomy accusations functioned as a stock smear against disfavored groups #corroborates (0.95) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 2184