The Fatimite Caliphate was established in Cairo in 909 c.e., with 'Obaidallah
as the first Caliph. The Fatimites were a reaction against the Abbasids, and
were almost, if not entirely, Isma'ili. By the time of the Fourth Caliph, Mu'izz
lidinallah (952-977), the dynasty was well established in Egypt, and during
this time, according to Nesta Webster,
"...bi-weekly assemblages of both men and women known as 'societies of
wisdom' were instituted in Cairo." -- Sec. Soc., p. 40.
In 1004 c.e., was established the Dar ul Hikmat, or House of Wisdom, by al-Hakim
bi 'amrallah, the 6th Caliph. We shall see later the importance of al-Hakim,
in the chapter entitled "The Old Battle-Axe".
The Dar-ul-Hikmat was the continuation of 'Abdallah ibn Maimun's sect, adding
two degrees beyond the seven of 'Abdallah's system.
The two major offshoots were the Druzes and the Assassins. Both of these societies
still exist to this day, even though the Assassins underwent changes after being
vanquished by the Mongols. More on the Druzes in the chapter entitled "The
Old Battle Axe".
As to the Fatimites, their method of Initiation and proselytism was transcribed
by the 14th Century historian Nowairi. Von Hammer gives it as the program of
the Dar ul Hikmat, and it is said that this is probably because the Batiniyya
only consisted of 7 degrees. John Yarker in The Arcane Schools, says the two
additional degrees were added by the Dar ul Hikmat. The Carmathites had a Nine
Degree system, though we are only given six of the degrees.
p class="text"We shall now cover the analysis by Webster of the Nine Degrees.
The Proselytes were broadly divided into two classes:
1. The Learned.
2. The Ignorant.
The Dai was to agree with the former, applauding his wisdom, and to impress the latter with his own knowledge by asking him perplexing questions on the Koran.
In this degree, the Dai, in initiating the candidate, assumed an air of profundity and explained that religious doctrines were too abstruse for the ordinary mind, but must be interpreted by men who, like the DAIS, had a special knowledge of this science. The initiate was bound to absolute secrecy concerning the truths to be revealed to him, and obliged to pay in advance for these revelations. In order to pique his curiosity, the Dai would suddenly stop short in the middle of a discourse, and should the novice finally decline to pay the required sum, he was left in a state of bewilderment which inspired him with the desire to know more.
The Initiate was persuaded that all his former teachers were wrong and that he must place his confidence solely in those Imams endowed with authority from God.
He learnt that these Imams were those of the Isma'ilis, SEVEN in number ending with Muhammad, son of Isma'il, in contradistinction to the twelve Imamias who supported the claims of Isma'il's brother Musa.
He was told that the prophets preceding the Imams descending from ALI were also SEVEN in number -- namely ADAM, NOAH, ABRAHAM, MOSES, JESUS, the first MUHAMMAD, and finally MUHAMMAD, son of Isma'il.
[So far, nothing was said to the Initiate in contradiction to the broad tenets of Orthodox Islam.]
The process of undermining his religion began. He was now told to reject tradition and to disregard the precepts of Muhammad.
He was taught that all religious observances -- prayer, fastings, etc. -- were ONLY EMBLEMATIC, THAT IN FACT ALL THESE THINGS WERE DEVICES TO KEEP THE COMMON HERD OF MEN IN SUBORDINATION.
The doctrines of Dualism, of a greater and a lesser deity, were introduced and the Unity of God -- fundamental doctrine of Islam -- was destroyed. [Our note: Not really destroyed. We shall return to this idea in another place.]
A great vagueness was expressed on the attributes of the First and greatest of these deities, and it was pointed out that real prophets were those who concerned themselves with practical matters -- political institutions and good forms of government.
The adept was shown that all religious teaching was allegorical and that religious precepts need only be observed in so far as it is necessary to maintain order, but the man who understands the truth may disregard all such doctrines. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the other prophets were only teachers who had profited by the lessons of philosophy. All belief in revealed religion was thus destroyed.
[It will be seen that the first four degrees were intentionally fraudulent. Fraud in fact constituted an important feature in the society. In the instructions to the Dais every artifice is described for enlisting proselytes by misrepresentation. Jews were to be won by speaking ill of Christians, Christians by speaking ill of Jews and Moslems alike; Sunnis by referring with respect to the orthodox Khalifas 'Abu Bakr and Omar, and criticizing Ali and his descendants. Care was taken not to put before proselytes doctrines that might revolt them, but to make them advance step by step. By these means they would be ready to obey any commands.] -- From Secret Societies and Subversive Movements.
"If you were to give the order to whoever it might be to take from him
all that he holds most precious, above all his money, he would oppose none of
your orders, and if death surprised him he would leave you all that he possesses
in his will and make you his heir. He will think that in the whole world he
cannot find a man more worthy than you." -- Sec. Soc. p.
42.
"Opinions are powerless, so long as they only confuse the brain, without arming the hand. Scepticism and free-thinking, as long as they occupied only the minds of the indolent and philosophical, have caused the ruin of no throne, for which purpose religious and political fanaticism are the strongest levers in the hands of nations. It is nothing to the ambitious man what people believe, but it is everything to know how he may turn them for the execution of his projects.: -- von Hammer, The History of the Assassins, 45-6; quoted in Sec. Soc. p. 45.
The degrees of the Assassins, according to Webster, were:
1. The Grand master, aka Shaykh al Gebal, or Old Man of the Mountain.
2. Dail Kebir, or Grand Priors.
3. Dais, religious nuncios and political emissaries.
4. Rafiqs, Associates, in training for the high degrees.
5. Fadais, or Devoted, who undertook to deliver the secret blow on which their
superiors had decided.
6. Lasiqus, Law Brothers.
7. "Common People". Blind Instruments.
The Initiation Schema of the Assassins has been written about many many times,
in many different works. What we see is a combination of dissociation programming,
along with the use of drugs and visions of paradise, and the implanting of instructions,
codes, cues, triggers.
a. The Candidate is doped up, and prepared.
b. The Vision of Paradise.
c. He is told he cannot yet attain this, but must work for it.
d. He is then programmed to carry out assassinations, given triggers.
e. If the trance has a strong effect, when told that so and so is personally
responsible for keeping him out of the Garden of Paradise, and if he wants to
go there more than any other place, then he will carry out his assignment.
We are not going to dwell on Mind Control techniques in this place. There are
plenty of works dealing with this topic, mainly in the anti- side of the argument.
Bowart's Operation Mind Control, in the Researcher's Edition,
1994 is one example. Another is the series of Monarch Books by Fritz Springmeier,
who thinks we're all evil. Tisk tisk. He is really a spook himself, it must
be kept in mind, so who can trust his word anyway? Then there is Condon's The
Manchurian Candidate, plus the film bearing the same name. There's a
work entitled Thanks for the Memories, there's Trance-Formation
of America. Then there are actual occult books. Isn't mind control what
spiritual work is all about, control of the mind? Be that as it may, we do not
in any way advocate the types of traumas and criminal activities that have been
written about in the works listed above. We have witnessed people who have been
so programmed, spring into action, on a moment's notice, with little to trigger,
save for the emotion of commencing a magical ritual. And we know that there
are more like the one specimen we have referred to, and that is not to be written
about.
As far as present day matters are concerned, we can see some orthodox fundamentalist
Islamic versions of the same thing operating in bin Laden's group, and in Shaykh
Rachman's fanatical outfit. We recall hearing once in a Dave Emory program that
the latter was proclaiming himself to be the present day incarnation of Hassan
ibn Sabah.
Outside of the reconditioning from erroneous forms of belief and ways of life,
we do not condone any of these dangerous societies. More revolution can be had
by changing one's way of life, and by realizing that there is strength in numbers,
of such self-realized persons.
Religion is a very useful vessel in the hands of wily and crafty operators who
seek to control the behavior of the devoted for ends known only to themselves.
We are not going to going to give the history or induction ceremonies of the Fedavees. These are available elsewhere. See, for example, The Book Of Breeethings by William S. Burroughs.
While the Isma'ili and related sects may not necessarily be Yezidis, or Sabians,
or Sabaeans or Johannites proper, the relationship exists. It can be seen that
the original group formed by 'Abdallah recruited members of Gnostic and Pagan
groups that were peculiarly Sabaean, Sabian, and Johannite. The Gnostic practice
of religious dissimulation, the Mandaean, Yezidi, and Harranian hatred for the
Jews, Christians and Moslems and reverence of Natural Religion and Philosophy
are as we have shown, peculiarly Johannite. Allegorical interpretation of scripture
also belongs on this list. In short, we have a bridge group. That is to say,
a bridge between the Gnosis and the new current that was to develop in the West;
since these sects, though they survive today have not exercised the influence
they once did. The legacy of these sects was to be found in:
1. The Templars (and SION);
2. The Rose-Croix;
3. The Illuminati;
4. High-grade Continental Freemasonry, such as Memphis-Misraim;
5. The Frankist Tradition;
6. The Asiatic Brethren - Fratres Lucis - H B of L - Theon Connection; and
7. Thelema.
Nothing is true -- Everything is Permitted.
Next, we shall consider the Peacock Angel Cult.
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