the original assassins essays

the original assassins essays Assassin is a word that we relate to cold-blooded killings and murders today, but where did this idea originate and what does it really mean? In this report I am going to discuss a wide scope of topics that relate to the word Assassin. I will include a discussion of the origin and history of the word Assassin. I am also going to give a brief overview of Shiism, and then show how assassins relate to the Shiite religion (more specifically the Fatmid sect of Shiism). I am also going to cover a brief account of the assassins reign of terror in Syria, and what happened to the assassins, and their significance then and how is reflected in todays culture. At the end of this report I hope to have given a broad scope of the history of the infamous assassins of the Fatmids. The word Assassin was introduced into the English language from crusaders, who adapted it from the Arabic word Hashshashin, which is interpreted into hashish smokers. The explorer Marco Polo told stories of the great gardens of paradise where the Shiite Fatmid assassins would smoke hashish and bask in the gardens, having a taste of eternal bliss. None of these stories where ever confirmed by any known Isamilite source, but they still live on today (Assassin 2002). The beginning of the Shia movement dates back to the death of Muhammad. Muhammads followers were looking for a new caliph (or spiritual leader) and a small group called the Shiites who centered on Ali (a kinsman of Muhammad) and Muhammads daughter Fatima, but the Sunni being the majority overlooked the Shiites and choose Abu Bakr as the successor(Murata the Sunni and the Shiites. From the Shiites came a sect called the Fatmids ...