Herzl Conspires with Christian Priest to Assassinate Notables and Incite Population (Excerpt from Turkish TV Series "Sultan Abdülhamid")

The Turkish TV series "Sultan Abdülhamid" shows Theodor Herzl, who has moved to Istanbul to follow his schemes up close, conspiring with Christian priest Hiram to draw up a hit list of notable personalities in the local community in order to incite the population against the Sultan. Hiram, who lost an eye in a previous scheme by Herzl to blow up a train, tells Herzl about growing up in the Vatican and becoming a professional assassin. Then Hiram murders the people on the list, including the imam of the mosque, who refuses to kiss Hiram's cross before being killed. Hiram marks a cross with his knife on the forehead of all his victims. The series has been airing weekly on the Turkish TRT TV channel.

 

Theodor Herzl: "I am sorry, Hiram. I am madly sorry. You lost your eye, and I lost my money, which I valued like my eye."

 

Hiram: "I heard the news."

 

Theodor Herzl: "Get your act together. I need you."

 

Hiram: "And I need to take my revenge."

 

Theodor Herzl: "Contain your revenge for the time being. You know the sensitivities of the Ottoman state better than me. You will prepare a list, a death list that will destroy the calm of the Sultanate."

 

Hiram: "You had me when you uttered the word 'death.'"

 

Theodor Herzl: "I will advise you on a name to include in the list.

 

[...]

 

"Who is Asiye?"

 

Hiram: "The mother of the man who took my eye. He loves her like an eye."

 

Theodor Herzl: "Don't be carried away by your emotions. We are trying to work here. And enough with that piano."

 

Hiram: "They love this woman very much in her neighborhood. She is like everybody's mother. If we kill her, the whole neighborhood will be upset."

 

[...]

 

Theodor Herzl: "Why Suleiman the shoemaker?"

 

Hiram: "He makes shoes for all the orphans in Istanbul."

 

Theodor Herzl: "Why Galib the undertaker?"

 

Hiram: "He must be on the list. After I kill all these people, I don't want there to be anyone to bury them in the ground."

 

Theodor Herzl: "When did you become such a barbaric killer?"

 

Hiram: "In the Vatican. In a monastery. There was a priest there, who would beat us all the time. Every night, I would pray for God to take his soul. Beating during the day, praying at night. Then, I found a way to talk to God. I went there and slaughtered the priest. Then I could talk to God. Later, the sins I committed drew the attention of God and the black Pope. They hired me as a killer in 'the Company.'"

 

Theodor Herzl: "You mean the Vatican?"

 

Hiram: "Yes."

 

Theodor Herzl: "Leave your personal issues to the end. First, you will kill the manager of the vault of the Ottoman bank. Then Abdülhamid must appoint someone we want. Next on the list, what was his name? Omar?"

 

Hiram: "Yes."

 

Theodor Herzl: "You can have your revenge."

 

[...]

 

Hiram: "Good evening. You are the manager of the vault of the Ottoman bank, right? Mr. Jawad?"

 

Jawad: "Yes, what is it?"

 

Hiram: "Great. Come this way."

 

Jawad: "Stop it, sir. What are you doing?"

 

Hiram: "My work. There is beauty in every line of work, isn't it?"

 

Hiram strikes him and has him dragged away on the ground by a horse.

 

[...]

 

Imam: "What are you doing, priest?"

 

Hiram: "I should kill you, Imam, but you look like a good man and I don't want you to go to Hell. Look, if you kiss this cross, you will go to Heaven with the lambs of Jesus."

 

Imam: "We believe that we will go to Heaven because of Allah's mercy, priest.

 

Hiram stabs him

 

"Why are you doing this to yourself, you ignoramus? How evil is the path you have taken! I attest that there is no god but..."

 

Imam dies.