Majd Addin

One of the nine people Al Mualim orders Altaïr to publicly assassinate. He dwells in the poor district of the city of Jerusalem.

Description

Majd Addin is Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn's Regent of Jerusalem, and demands that his citizens follow the law - his law. He issues many edicts regarding how people should conduct themselves, and anyone perceived to be breaking these laws - or as a direct threat to either the city or Majd Addin himself - is dealt with in a public "trial", where they are either framed or their so-called "crimes" exaggerated to the point that the crowd demands their deaths - which Majd Addin is only too happy to deliver personally.

Majd Addin is more than happy to admit that he enjoys controlling and taking the lives of others. He arbitrates and controls the citizens of Jerusalem through acts of strong fear and intimidation. All the more reason why a feather was issued on his head.

Death

Majd Addin was publicly assassinated by the silent White Eagle assassin Altaïr. The master assassin claimed his life during one of his public executions (as Majd Addin proceeded with lecturing the crowd feeding his killer ego. Altaïr silently observes his movements from the cover of the attending crowd. Then as Majd Addin begins to berate his captive prisoners Altaïr approaches a group of gathering scholars and immediately blends in with them, aided greatly by the white robe he adornes, now completely blended the group targets the stage as its destination point and begin their path towards it, safely transporting and masking the master assassin, stealthily moving past the attentive guards searching for any sign of an assassins approach from the crowd. Upon reaching the stage Altaïr breaks away from the scholars and blends while standing in a corner as Majd Addin continues the execution he unknowingly makes a vital mistake by turning his back on the idle assassin, as Majd Addin addresses the crowd for the last time Altaïr instantly sprints towards him swiftly leaping into the air like an eagle taking flight digging his Hidden Blade deep into the regents neck killing him. In his dying moments, he then gives Altaïr explanations and reasons for his evil deeds. Majd Addin seemed too stubborn to die so Altaïr stabs his victim both for the assassination as well as in the cutscene. Majd Addin's public assassination was the sixth recorded major public figure assassination to again happen in the open and marks the second to happen in the streets of Jerusalem.

Possible Model

Majd Addin (Glory of the Faith) may be very loosely based on a man named Bahā' ad-Dīn ibn Shaddād (splendor of the faith), who was close to Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb (Saladin) and wrote a biography of the great Saracen military leader and sultan. Bahā' ad-Dīn was a jurist and a scholar. Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn liked his writings so much that he befriended the man and made him the judge of his armies. Bahā' ad-Dīn did not ever proclaim himself the Regent of Jerusalem, however.

In one of Altaïr's investigations, it is revealed that Majd Addin was once the scribe of the emir. Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn is the Emir or Sultan at this time. Malik tells Altaïr that Majd Addin has "declared himself Regent in Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn's absence". However, when listening to the men during one of his eavesdropping investigations (the one man is the father of one of those to be executed), it becomes clear that the people are under the impression that Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn has appointed Majd Addin as Regent.

This is purely speculation, but as a scholar, Bahā' ad-Dīn was also a scribe or writer and did chronicle the life and times of Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn. The similar meaning of their names also adds to the possibility.