The Effect of Juhayman al-Otaybi' Uprising on Saudi Government

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to survey the transformations in Saudi Arabia and the approach of Saudi rulers after the uprising of Juhayman al-Otaybi and the occupation of Masjid a-Haram in 1979. The method of study is descriptive analysis and the hypothesis is that the main reason of change in the performance of Saudi rulers was the uprising of Juhayman al-Otaybi posing a challenge to the legitimacy of Saudi government by a religious movement in a particular way and sensitive time such that it made the establishment give many credits to its extremist clergymen and change its consumerist and western approach to puritanical and conservative adherence to religion. This approach led to extremism in national and international Saudi dialogues and exporting the thoughts of Juhayman to outside Saudi Arabia.

Keywords

• masjid al-haram (the great mosque of mecca)
• juhayman al-otaybi
• saudi wahhabism