imagine militants taking over the grand mosque in Mecca hard to believe right but around 40 years ago that's exactly what happened hello my friends let's unpack one of Saudi Arabia's most influential historical events that fundamentally transformed the Gulf [Music] State the year is 1979 a turning point in the Muslim World in Iran A revolution is kicking off a historical peace treaty between Egypt and Israel is being signed and in Saudi Arabia something just as momentous is happening a group claiming to be led by a prophesied Islamic figure the mthi has invaded and captured the Grand Mosque holding thousands hostage in the midst of gunfire and bombardment this event would reshape the government and send ripples across the globe The Siege began with a group known as aljama Al salafia alut or simply JSM the rebels declared the arrival of the Mahi a prophesied Islamic figure and demanded to overthrow the Saudi government confusion and outrage spread throughout the Muslim world as The Siege continued with International accusations flying the Saudis restricted by religious limitations on violence within the mosque eventually used French aid and tear gas to retake the holy site at the cost of many lives but we should rewind a bit and meet jiman Ali The Mastermind of The Siege he came from an influential family his grandfather Sultan bin bajad Ali played a big part in uniting Saudi Arabia but he clashed with the Saudi ruling family over the country becoming more westernized his views deeply influenced Jean so how did jiman Ali cross paths with the man he believed to be the Mahi while studying at the University of Medina jiman was passionately advocating for a return to a more traditional form of Islam among the youth it was during this period that he encountered Muhammad Abdullah Al katani also a student what stood out to jiman wasn't just Al katan's devoutness it was how remarkably he resembled the Mahi as described in Islamic Hadith this belief sparked concern among Saudi authorities leading to significant arrests in 1978 of many of Al supporters so who is the Mahi the Mahi is a key figure in Islamic beliefs Central to the end of the world prophecy signs preceding his arrival include societal upheavals moral Decay and decline in reverence towards God Jan decided to marry the sister of alak katani bounding himself to the apparent Mahi by Family he didn't work alone he gathered followers and funds tapping into the the tensions of a Saudi Arabia Court between modernizing and holding on to Islamic Traditions it was a nation at a crossroad and jiman tapped into this tension now add to this mix the revolution in Iran which created momentum for a return to more conservative Islamic values Jan leveraged his status as a member of a prominent Sai family he presented himself as a religious reformer advocating for a strict interpretation of Islam to those who were dissatisfied with the Saudi government's policies in their recruitment efforts Jan and his followers spread their messages through mosques study groups and other religious gatherings while also spreading propaganda to attract support through his actions jman built an estimated following of hundreds of people and acquired resources necessary for his attack on Mecca in 1979 so let's move on to the siege the group infiltrated the Grand Mosque on the morning of the 20th of November attending the morning prayer with weapons concealed under their clothes even more weapons and ammunition were hidden throughout the mosque which were smuggled in days prior the JSM members chained up the gates to the mosque trapping thousands of people within it with many people unable to speak Arabic leaving them in a state of complete confusion and over the speakers the JSM announced the arrival of the mthi they then took up defensive positions on the walls around the mosque sniping security officers that were attempting to regain control JSM cut communication lines and so nobody from the outside knew what was really going on within the Grand Mosque rumors began to spread all over the Muslim world with blame being shifted from country to Country the United States was quick to blame Iran with the Iranian Revolution having only happened recently while Iran shifted the blame back onto the United States as well as zionists protests and riots spread all over the Muslim world for the holy city and the holiest sight to all Muslims had been attacked considering that violence within the walls of the Grand Mosque was strictly forbidden the Saudi Army could not engage in battle with JSM as soldiers continued to lose their lives in small scale assaults the clerics gave the fatwa which is a ruling on a point of Islamic law allowing the Army to go in and fight Al katani the man who believed that he was the Mahi also apparently thought that he was invincible possibly to prove this to his followers and motivate them to fight the new ways of soldiers coming in he stepped into open battle however his luck ran out shortly after and he died with many of his supporters witnessing this and giving up the will to fight as The Siege dragged on the grand Moss became a grim scene in a desperate move Saudi Arabia called in experts from France's GM Elite officers skilled in resolving such crisis but this move sparked A new challenge non-muslims entering Mecca especially the Grand Mosque is strictly forbidden there seems to be multiple accounts of what actually happened at this point a popular claim is that the GN officers had to convert to Islam before entering Mecca another account is that their officers never actually entered Mecca instead training and assisting Saudi Arabian soldiers from the outside regardless of what actually happened at that point the plan they came up with was straightforward they drilled holes leading into the underground Chambers where the JSM Rebels were hiding through those holes they gassed out the Reb rebs forcing them to come up to the surface there the rebels were bombarded With Grenades and tear gas unfortunately this plan led to the deaths of some of the hostages too but it pushed the JSM into Open Spaces where they could be picked off by snipers after a few more weeks of fighting the rebels eventually gave up as jiman and around 60 followers surrendered to the Saudi Arabian Army [Music] Army 3 minutes past 8 and you're listening 2 a.m. The Siege at the Grand mosque in Mecca is over the authorities in Saudi Arabia have now crushed the uprising the guilty were then tried secretly and publicly executed in eight different cities across Saudi Arabia and after the dust settled Saudi Arabia transformed and did turn towards a more conservative Islam the country underwent a rigorous transformation gender segregation became pronounced women disappeared from television broadcasts and entertainment Outlets such as Cinemas and music stores were shuttered educational curricula were revised to reflect a more religious Outlook this pivot towards conservatism was not merely a knee-jerk reaction to an isolated event but reflected a deeper realization within the Saudi leadership in this light Joan's ideological goals paradoxically found a form of realization all be it through the very government he sought to challenge if you'd like to know when our next video as part of our religion series drops subscribe to our Channel or leave a comment if there's any historical events that you want to learn more about [Music]