Juhayman al-Otaybi

Juhayman al-Otaybi
Juhayman al-Otaybi
جهيمان العتيبي‎
	Juhayman in captivity, 1980
Born	16 September 1936; Sajir, Saudi Arabia
Died	9 January 1980 (aged 43); Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Cause of death	Decapitation
Alma mater	Islamic University of Medina
Occupation	Leader of the Ikhwan
Known for	Directing the Grand Mosque seizure in 1979
Movement	Salafi Islamism/Islamic Revivalism
Children	Hathal bin Juhayman al-Otaybi
Family	Tribe of Otaibah
Military career
Allegiance	Saudi Arabia
Service/branch	National Guard
Years of service	1955–1973

Juhayman ibn Muhammad ibn Sayf al-Otaybi (Arabic: جهيمان بن محمد بن سيف العتيبي; ‎16 September 1936^[2]^[3] – 9 January 1980) was a Saudi religious dissident and ex-soldier who led the Ikhwan during their Grand Mosque seizure in 1979. He and his followers besieged and took over the Grand Mosque of Mecca on 20 November 1979 (1 Muharram 1400) and held it for two weeks. During this time, he called for an uprising against the House of Saud and also reportedly proclaimed that the Mahdi had arrived in the form of one of the Ikhwan's leading officials; al-Otaybi's insurgency ended with Saudi authorities capturing the surviving militants and publicly executing them all, including al-Otaybi. The incident led to widespread unrest, culminating in large-scale anti-American riots throughout the Muslim world, particularly after Iranian religious cleric Ruhollah Khomeini of the Islamic Revolution falsely claimed over a radio broadcast that Juhayman's insurgency at the holiest Islamic site had been orchestrated by the United States and Israel.^[4]^[5]^[6]

^ "Mecca attacker Juhayman's son overcomes father's legacy, becomes Saudi colonel". Al Arabiya. 3 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
^ Krämer 2000, p. 262.
^ Graham, Douglas F.; Peter W. Wilson (1994). Saudi Arabia: The Coming Storm. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. p. 57. ISBN 1-56324-394-6.
^ Wright, Robin B. (2001). Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam. Simon & Schuster. p. 149.
^ [On 2 December 1979.] EMBASSY OF THE U.S. IN LIBYA IS STORMED BY A CROWD OF 2,000; Fires Damage the Building but All Americans Escape – Attack Draws a Strong Protest Relations Have Been Cool Escaped without Harm 2,000 Libyan Demonstrators Storm the U.S. Embassy Stringent Security Measures Official Involvement Uncertain, New York Times, 3 December 1979
^ Soviet "Active Measures": Forgery, Disinformation, Political Operations (PDF). Bureau of Public Affairs (Report). Washington, D.C., United States of America: United States Department of State. 1 October 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2022.

[1] "Mecca attacker Juhayman's son overcomes father's legacy, becomes Saudi colonel". Al Arabiya. 3 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2024.

[FOOTNOTEKrämer2000262-2] Krämer 2000, p. 262.

[:0-3] Graham, Douglas F.; Peter W. Wilson (1994). Saudi Arabia: The Coming Storm. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. p. 57. ISBN 1-56324-394-6.

[4] Wright, Robin B. (2001). Sacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam. Simon & Schuster. p. 149.

[5] [On 2 December 1979.] EMBASSY OF THE U.S. IN LIBYA IS STORMED BY A CROWD OF 2,000; Fires Damage the Building but All Americans Escape – Attack Draws a Strong Protest Relations Have Been Cool Escaped without Harm 2,000 Libyan Demonstrators Storm the U.S. Embassy Stringent Security Measures Official Involvement Uncertain, New York Times, 3 December 1979

[6] Soviet "Active Measures": Forgery, Disinformation, Political Operations (PDF). Bureau of Public Affairs (Report). Washington, D.C., United States of America: United States Department of State. 1 October 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2022.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]