 Prince Turki ◦ Educated in America ◦ No real seriousness  Return to home, 1973  Change in Saudi Arabia ◦ King Faisal assumes the throne ◦ Major changes  Infrastructure  Needed roots to cling too: Islam  Widespread anti- modernization sentiments  Too much money ◦ Progressive reforms  Introduction of female education  Abolishment of slavery  Brought T.V.  Co-opted the Ulema (clergy)  Employees of the State  Sought to temper radicalism

 Assassinated 1975 ◦ By nephew ◦ Angered by reforms  King Khaled successor  Crisis ◦ November 20, 1979 ◦ Insurgents opened fire in the Grand Mosque on 50,000 worshippers ◦ Chained gates, killed policemen ◦ Called themselves the Mahdi  Significance: The Mahdi, in oral tradition, will come near the end of time  Jesus and Mahdi will fight the AntiChrist  NOT accepted by most Muslims ◦ Leader named Juhayman al- Otebi said God revealed to him in a dream that he was the Mahdi ◦ No one thought they posed a real threat  Hostage situation ◦ Lasted two weeks ◦ Prince Turki sent to deal with ◦ Most hostages let go ◦ Issue of military assault:  Against Quran  Had to get permission of clergy  Deal struck between King and Ulema – fatwa issued ◦ insurgents inside  Prepared for weeks  Attempts by government disasters  Prince Turki took charge ◦ Called on the bin Ladens ◦ Had maps and layout of Mosque ◦ Demands of insurgents  Non-westernization  No royal family  Accounting of money  Cut off oil to west  Foreigners out of the Kingdom ◦ 2 weeks to end crisis

 Consequences ◦ Largest execution in Saudi history ◦ Kingdom traumatized  Holiest place defiled  Authority of royal family challenged  What direction would the Kingdom take in the future?

 1979 Soviet troops invade Afghanistan ◦ Osama bin Laden heads to Afghanistan within days ◦ Influence Abdullah Azzam  Embodied modern warrior priest  “Jihad and rifles alone”  “called” to Afghan resistance  Struggle was against jahiliyya  world of unbelief before Islam  Still corrupted the faithful  Recruited for the cause using bin Laden’s home in the Kingdom  Bin Laden revered Azzam ◦ Jeddah became transit system for Azzam’s “calling  Young muslim pilgrims mainly  Some fugitives  Bin Laden ◦ Opened half-way house for recruits ◦ Ran military camps ◦ Talented fundraiser ◦ Saudi family encouraged ◦ Rallied behind Jihad due to threat of Communism ◦ **DRAWING A LINE against retreat of their religion, which was God’s last word and the only hope of human salvation.  Bin Laden not allowed by Saudi government to go to Afghanistan ◦ Promised he wouldn’t