Signs of the Times – part 21
Originally posted July 30, 2012.
Quote of the Times:
Secret societies have existed among all peoples, savage and civilized, since the beginning of recorded history…It is beyond question that the secret societies of all ages have exercised a considerable degree of political influence… Manley P. Hall, Occultist and Freemason Historian.
Since terrorism and the ‘war on terror’ are such a distinctive part of the Signs of the Times, it is imperative that we examine the origins, methods and goals of modern day terrorism. In order to do this, we have to go back in history to the time of ‘the Assassins’.
The world’s first terrorists are generally considered to be the Assassins [at least they were the first to use terror, as deliberately planned policy, to achieve specific goals]. We know a lot about the Assassins, because they were eventually destroyed by the Mongols, and much of their documentation (including one whole library) was captured for future study.
The Assassins originated from the Ismaili faction within Mohammadism. The Ismailis are a breakaway or offshoot of the larger Shi’a faction within Mohammadism. And the Shi’a are themselves a breakaway or offshoot of the even larger faction within Mohammadism, the Sunni [and because the Sunni are the majority faction within Mohammadism they are generally considered the orthodox faction and the Shi’a and the Ismailis are generally considered the heretics] – [The disputes between these factions, all revolve around the succession to the founder of the religion – Mohammad].
The Ismailis therefore, found themselves as small fish in a very big pond. Nevertheless, the Ismailis did very well. The Ismaili point of view prevailed over the whole of North Africa (including Egypt) from 909 AD to 1171 AD. This was known as the Fatimid Empire or Dynasty. It was during the reign of the Fatimids, that yet another succession dispute took place, which resulted in yet another breakaway sect from within the Ismailis, called the Nizari. The Nizari therefore, found themselves as even smaller fish in an even bigger pond. How do you defend yourself in such a situation? How do you promote your point of view and achieve your goals? Their solution was terrorism!
Around the year 1080 (just before the first Crusade) an Ismaili of the Nizari sect, by the name of Hasan-i-Sabbah managed to get himself smuggled into the mountain fortress of Alamut in Northern Persia. Hasan-i-Sabbah was a remarkable man. He quickly converted the soldiers garrisoned there to his Nizari cause, after which, he revealed himself, to the startled commandant, informing him that he, Hasan, was now the new commander of the fortress. Hasan gave the former commandant a gift of gold and sent him on his way – Hasan had captured the first of many such fortresses and the Assassins were now seriously in business.
[The English word Assassin is directly derived from the achievements of Hasan-i-Sabbah – one opinion is that the name is derived from the Arabic word for hashish (which was used extensively by the sect) – a more probable explanation is because, Hasan called his disciples Asasiyun, meaning people who are faithful to the Asās, which means foundation, i.e. of the faith].
Hasan’s new sect was based on the principles, and methods of secret societies, which have a long history going back to the Tower of Babel. But what makes the Assassins especially interesting, for this modern age of terrorism, is that almost all subsequent secret societies, including those that exist today, are modeled on this secret society that Hasan-i-Sabbah built.
One of the fundamental principles of secret societies is (yes! it needs to be said, even if it is so obvious) one of the fundamental principles of secret societies is – SECRECY! So, how is secrecy going to be achieved? Simple, you erect a smoke screen between yourself and the general public. You hide behind a respectable (but deceptive) façade. Thus, it was with the Assassins. To all intents and purposes they appeared as just another faction, of the many that existed within Mohammadism – they were simply devout Muslims with a particular emphasis, peculiar to themselves.
The second fundamental principle of secret societies is that, they not only conceal their true purpose and goals from the general public, but they also conceal their true purpose and goals from their own members – this is achieved by the structure within the secret society (which all secret societies follow). All secret societies have lower orders and higher orders (or levels). The lower orders only know about the façade – and if the members of the lower orders are deemed unworthy or unfit for progress into the higher orders, they will only ever know the façade. All members are carefully watched and vetted. If they are considered suitable material then they are advanced into the higher orders – where they finally learn, the true nature of the society that they have joined. The ‘suitable material’ are those who can be manipulated and corrupted – these are people who have low moral standards but high ambitions – sociopaths and psychopaths are most welcome.
The third fundamental principle of secret societies is; total obedience of the lower orders to the higher orders – a conscious (that still small voice that advises on right and wrong) is not something that is welcome in secret societies. In order to stifle that still small voice, and in order to promote obedience, Hasan-i-Sabbah, resorted to an ingenious (but not unique or new) system, whereby he deceived the lower orders. To promote a fanatical, unquestioning devotion to his authority, his doctrine, and his orders, Hasan selected disciples who would then go through a process of mind control using hallucinogen drugs (hashish was extensively used). When these disciples were suitably stupefied, they were placed in a specially created garden, where all the carnal delights and sensual fantasies a man could dream of, were dispensed, as one desired. The disciples were then drugged again and removed from the garden. When they awoke, and normality was restored, they were told that they had been to paradise/heaven, and that what they had just experienced, would be their eternal reward, if they obeyed Hasan-i-Sabbah in everything, and faithfully carried out his orders.
[The women employed in these gardens where called in Arabic, ‘houri’ from which is derived the English word ‘whore’] – (see the extra note below).
Jihad (holy war) was a prominent part of Hasan-i-Sabbah’s creed. But Hasan’s holy war was not the assembling of large armies – he assembled a small army of fanatically devoted and expertly trained assassins. Part of their notorious expertise, was their ability to disguise themselves (in order to get close to their victims). Their victims included rulers, kings and the wealthy – and many would pay them tribute in order to escape being their next victims. Some political leaders would even form alliances with them and employ them to dispatch their own enemies. In this manner, they became very wealthy, which further increased their power and influence.
One such political power that entered into intrigue with them was the Knights Templars. The Knights Templars were an order of Roman Catholic warrior monks, which were very influential in Europe and the Middle East, during the time of the Crusades. During a visit to the ‘Old Man of the Mountain’ (the Syrian branch of the Assassins – located in an impregnable mountain fortress), the Knights Templars witnessed the power of the Assassin leaders over their disciples. In order to impress his quests (which was no doubt a ploy to help with negotiations) the Old Man of the Mountain ordered two of his assassins to leap off the side of the mountain to their deaths on the rocks below – and they obeyed without hesitation – exhibiting much joy and shouting praises to Allah as they went – expecting to enter promptly into ‘paradise.’
The Knights Templars were very impressed. This dramatic display of religious devotion combined with military disciple and obedience, definitely aroused their interest, because they were essentially in the same business. The Knights Templars and the Assassins were both religious and military orders. They were both orders of religious warriors – but the Assassins were much better at it. The Knights Templars wanted what the Assassins had – and even though the Assassins (as an organized terror network would eventually be destroyed) their legacy continues to live on, even to this day, largely through their contacts with the Knights Templars.
To be continued…
God bless, Bruce Telfer.
Note: the influence of the Assassins is not restricted to the Knights Templars. Their legacy has touched the whole world. For example, when the British took over India in the 18th Century, they found a religious cult there called the Thuggee (from which is derived the English word ‘Thug’). The Thuggee functioned almost identically to the Assassins. The Japanese Ninja are also comparable to the Assassins, as are many other cults and political revolutionaries, throughout history, since the time of the Assassins. Even today, the same type of deception is being practiced on naïve young Muslim men. Today, Muslim suicide bombers are told, that, when they die in the cause of Allah, they will go straight to paradise, where 72 beautiful virgins are waiting to satisfy their every whim. The Assassins are still with us today.
Extra note: it may seem preposterous that people could be fooled by the experience in the gardens provided by the ‘houris’ but something equally and even more preposterous is taking place in this modern age – and on a grander scale – affecting the whole world.
The ‘houris’ dispensed literal hallucinogen drugs to make their victims literally drunk and therefore more pliable and prone to deception. There is a ‘woman’ called the ‘great whore’ doing the same thing today – only she is dispensing spiritual or symbolic hallucinogenic drugs, which makes people spiritually drunk (so that they cannot think straight) – and for the same purpose – to make people pliable and prone to deception.
We find this ‘great whore’ in the Bible (Revelation chapter 17). She is riding a scarlet colored beast with seven heads and ten horns (these are a symbolic representation of her helpers and collaborators). This great whore is holding out a cup, out of which, we are told, the nations of the earth drink. It is the same deceptive trick, only this time practiced on a world-wide scale.
It is important to note that this is not something unique to the Assassins. The Assassins were only perpetuating something that goes all the way back to the original Babylonian religion. The Babylonians employed the same deceptive methods (ancient artwork depicting the Babylonian religion, have women holding out cups, from which the devotees were expected to drink). This is just one of the many reasons why the woman riding the beast in Revelation is called MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. The Assassins were just one manifestation of her many abominations – there are many more.
