Assassins

Historical Perspective

Assassination of a high-ranking governmental official or other well-known personality has always been [Page 34]considered a special type of violence. The term assassin comes from the Arabic word hashshashin and is defined as the sudden or secret attack of a politically important person for hire or for fanatical reasons. Many assassins plan their attacks, and there is an abundance of evidence that some of these individuals follow their “prey” prior to the events. Understanding this type of individual lends another perspective on the multifaceted phenomenon of stalking. Assassination is as old as recorded history and as common as the morning headlines. Franklin Ford's classic Political Murder: From Tyrannicide to Terrorism is the most comprehensive text on the history of assassinations.

Ford points out that some civilizations have experienced a high rate of assassinations, whereas others have been relatively free of this form of violence. The early city-state of Athens had few assassinations. The political structure was such that the council or assembly could vote to dismiss members, and the citizens of Athens could publicly ostracize their political leaders. These mechanisms provided alternatives to the more drastic remedy of poison or the knife. Contrary to the movies depicting frequent assassinations of various Roman leaders, the Roman Empire was also relatively free from this type of killing for almost 400 years. Although the citizens of Rome engaged in personal vendettas and even stoning of individuals accused of private transactions, the public officials of Rome were considered immune from this form of violence. This immunity from assassination lasted until approximately 150 years before the birth of Christ.

One of the first organized groups of assassins was formed during the Middle Ages. Established at the end of the 11th century, the Order of Assassins, or hashshashin, was a secret Islamic sect founded by Hasan-i Sabbah, whose mission was to attack and kill Christians and the leaders of the Sunnites (the more moderate Muslims), who ruled their land. The sect seized the mountain of Alamut, in Northern Persia, and from that stronghold waged a campaign of terror and murder against their opponents.

The candidates for admission to the order were given hashish to drink and under its influence were taken to a secret tropical garden. On recovering their senses, they were told they were in paradise. After several days of drinking, eating, and engaging in sex, they were again drugged and returned to the shrine, and were told that if they obeyed the master—or were slain carrying out his orders—they would once again be transported back to paradise.

Many assassins carried out their attacks while under the influence of hashish. Although leadership of the order was hereditary, it drew its recruits from all segments of society. They committed every conceivable crime known to man, including the murder of numerous public officials in the Persian Empire. For about 150 years, the Order of Assassins held Persia and Asia Minor in terror. In 1256, the Mongols broke their hold on these regions. To this day, the name hashshashin is considered by many to be synonymous with the premeditated slaying of rulers.

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