Mohammed al-Khayr
| Mohammed al-Khayr | |
|---|---|
 Emir Mohammed in 1970 | |
| Emir of Abtin | |
| Reign | 10 June 1967 – 17 January 1983 |
| Predecessor | Emir Jalaluddin |
| Successor | Hussayn al-Baqir ibn Ka'b Naqbiyli (As Chairman of the Party for National Liberation and Popular Democracy |
| Born | 19 June 1947 Rasm El Taqch, Protectorate of Abtin |
| Died | 19 August 2018 (aged 78) Aberghyll, Valaran |
| Spouse | Souha Amel (m. 1970) |
| Issue |
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| House | al-Khayr |
| Father | Emir Sulayman |
| Mother | Zaynab Khanjar |
| Religion | Khasibiyyah |
Mohammed al-Khayr (Khatti: الأمير محمد بن سليمان الخي) was the last Emir of Abtin. Reigning from 10 June 1967 when he deposed his uncle in a coup until 17 January 1983 when he fled the country after militants took the capital city of Baykufteh. This ended the 28 year old Khayrite monarchy in Abtin, which subsequently became part of Zubaydah.
The youngest son of Emir Sulayman and his second wife, Zaynab Khanjar, he was initially passed up as monarch for his uncle Jalaluddin when his father died of a heart attack in 1965. Mohammed's mother and her family, the Khanjar's, a wealthy Bentani family from the north would plot to coup Jalaluddin, fearing for their position in the emirate as Jalaluddin had been vocally opposed to his brothers marriage to Zaynab. Mohammeds maternal uncle Ghassan Khanjar was the Minister of Defense, while his Cousin Talal Daouk Commanded the Royal Guard forces. With the help of his maternal family and his position as a Crown Prince, Mohammed would enroll in the Royal Army Officer Collage in 1965. He would train as an Air Infantry Commander and graduate the next year with the rank of flight lieutenant in the air Force, and would take command of the 8th Royal Parachute Battalion.
On 9 June 1967 Army units loyal to the Khanjars would be moved to the capital, The Defense Ministry would issue a State Emergency ordering civilians to stay in their homes. Elements of the Royal Guard would arrest Jalaluddin and the 2nd Motorized Infantry Division would secure important infrastructure in the capital. The next day Mohammed would be proclaimed the New King, after his uncle was arrested under non-existent charges of corruption and treason. Mohammeds rule would be noted as deeply authoritarian. He would establish the Djihaz el Mukhabarat, a secret police tasked with destroying any internal opposition to the monarchy. He would suspend the constitution upon assuming power and would violently oppress Sharafis in the country's east as they mobilized in favor of Pan-Khatti political organizations. groups like the Commandos of the National Revolution and Qiwaa al-Salam al-Shaebia would form and combat the royal army with support from the Qusayri Republic until their formal involvement in the conflict during the Highland Campaign. The country would be rocked by the ten year long military conflict, With significant battles in Deir al-Nasraniy, Koysin, Bcharri, and Mshayerfeh El Zharour. Qusayri army forces would advance on the Capital city and let forces from the Abtini People's Resistance Committee take the city on 16 on January. Mohammed would flee the country from Ain El Doud Air Force Base. He would live out the rest of his life in exile in Valaran. He would die of Atherosclerosis in 2018, aged 78.