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 Ikhwan |
| 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 – 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 claimed over a radio broadcast that Juhayman's insurgency at the holiest Islamic site had been orchestrated by the United States and Israel.