not hesitate to attack the lands : the Prophets, as treacherous and as to enslave the people with their propaganda which was not proven to be true. the allegiance of the Karmathians was not known to be given to either the Abbasids or the Fatimids. The Abbasids were known to

doi:10.4324/9780203038017-88

Chapter

ABSTRACT

TheAbbasidswereunabletowithstandtheKarmathiansandso sufferedagreatdealofinjusticefromthemandwereviciously attacked.Theywouldbuysilencefromthemforlongerorshorter periodsoftime.Whentheywerenotabletogaintheiracceptance theywouldexperimentwithothermethodssuchaspromoting internalrivalriesandpittingoneagainsttheother. 111

ItwasintheinterestsoftheFatimidstomakeitwidelyknown thattheyweregettingthesupportofthepowerfulalliesinBahrain andtheotherArabcountries.11 2Fortheirpart,theyhelpedto broadcasttheirsupportsothattheotherswouldknowthatthe majoritywereworkingforajustcause,andthatthatcausewasthe causeofthefamilyoftheProphet.