19. The Assassins Were Early Pioneers of “Propaganda of the Deed”
The Assassins were early believers in and practitioners of “propaganda of the deed” – spectacular political acts, in this case, political murders, meant to serve as examples for others, and as catalysts for further events. Whenever possible, the Assassins did not settle for simply murdering their victims. Instead, they sought to kill them in a dramatic and public manner as possible. Especially when it came to targets who had enveloped themselves in the heaviest layers of protective security.
By killing their victims – some of them innocent, some not so much – in public, in front of as many horrified witnesses as possible, the Assassins advertised their cult’s reach. They also struck fear into the hearts of leading men by fostering the perception that those targeted by the Assassins were dead men walking, no matter the precautions taken.
