The Old Man of The Mountain: The ‘Trial of the Assassin’

Book excerpt: The Old Man of the Mountain: The ‘Trial’ of the Assassin He was a powerful influencing reference as Britain’s Bernard Lewis, who would become the foremost authority on Islamic history and traditions, traced the origins of the 'Assassin sect' in the Shi’ite branch of Islam and began to chronicle both their doctrines and the life of their enigmatic founder, the legendary “Old Man of the Mountain.” The Assassins were the first group to make planned, systematic, and long-term use of murder as a political weapon, and their ideals and methods have since found many imitators. Bernard Lewis was just about to publish, in 1967, one of his first books entitled the “The Assassins.” Once published it was to be the most comprehensive, readable, and authoritative account of history’s first terrorists. When Lewis’ book was published Dr. Ahmed Abdulla did take some exceptions on one major historical account but in all he was very pleased with the historical context of Lewis’ factual history. Where they differed would continue to be preserved and concealed, unknowingly, in Lewis’ account as one of the most guarded secrets in the history of the assassin’s legacy. Ahmed and Iran’s self-imposed exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, allegedly, were two of the very few Shi’ites in the world that knew about this well guarded secret. As descendants of the “Old Man” each was entrusted with continuing to pass the legacy down through history until the call would come to carryout the assassination. However, it was the one called Ahmed didn’t want to get because it was diametrically in opposition to his principles of democracy, tolerance and religion.