The Story
Based on new information gathered from extensive fieldwork in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, this account sheds light on the story and legacy of Juhayman al-Utaybi, the militant who led the 1979 takeover of IslamÂ’s holiest site: the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Detailing the events that would set in motion numerous attacks on the U.S. embassy in Pakistan and Shia uprisings in oil-rich areas of Saudi Arabia, this record offers insight into the religious inspiration behind the rebel leaderÂ’s message and acknowledges many unanswered questions: Who were the rebels and what did they want? Why and how did JuhaymanÂ’s group come into existence? What was Juhayman al-UtaybiÂ’s ideological legacy and how have his writings influenced contemporary Islamist strains?
Description
Based on new information gathered from extensive fieldwork in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, this account sheds light on the story and legacy of Juhayman al-Utaybi, the militant who led the 1979 takeover of IslamÂ’s holiest site: the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Detailing the events that would set in motion numerous attacks on the U.S. embassy in Pakistan and Shia uprisings in oil-rich areas of Saudi Arabia, this record offers insight into the religious inspiration behind the rebel leaderÂ’s message and acknowledges many unanswered questions: Who were the rebels and what did they want? Why and how did JuhaymanÂ’s group come into existence? What was Juhayman al-UtaybiÂ’s ideological legacy and how have his writings influenced contemporary Islamist strains?
