MYTH is that the word ‘assassin’ was derived from the Arabic word haschishin — the hashish user. It is said that Hassan ibn Sabbah built a ‘paradise’ in his mountain fortress. Alamut, and under the influence of hashish, his fedayeen used to occasionally visit the paradise for a few nights and then proceed on a mission to assassinate some high official in the neighbouring governorates and states.

It was Hassan’s doctrine for his fedayeen to murder the target at a public place to let everyone be terrorised, but at the same time dying courageously if caught by security forces.

That was the thirteenth century when Hassan was terrorising the Middle East of his time. Now it’s 2016. Anything changed? I doubt. If Hassan was using hashish to control his fedayeen, so-called Islamic State militant group, is using its own interpretation of religion to brainwash educated and civilised masses to become animals — animals to assassinate even their mothers to please their masters.

Al Saqr Al Qasem shot dead his mother, Lena, at a public place. What was her fault? She wanted her son to leave Raqqa, IS capital; instead he turned her in to the followers of Satan ruling Raqqa nowadays. She was charged with apostasy and was sentenced to death.

She was executed by her own son. Who said Ibn Sabbah is dead? He is very much alive and taking far more uglier forms. The world is facing ‘assassins’ who are now on a new type of ‘hashish’!

Masood Khan
Jubail

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THE government has been denying the presence of the so-called Islamic State whereas its presence was observed not only in Karachi, but in some other urban cities. Whose presence in the country is a threat to Pakistan. Why is the government consistently denying its existence in the country?

A military operation should be carried out in all the provinces to destroy terrorism.

Waheed Haider
Kech

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2016