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Attack on French Consulate Ceremony in Saudi Arabia Wounds at Least 2 Attack on French Consulate Ceremony in Saudi Arabia Wounds at Least 3
(about 1 hour later)
PARIS — An explosion wounded at least two people in an attack on a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during a ceremony organized by the French consulate for Remembrance Day on Wednesday, French officials said. PARIS — An explosion wounded at least three people on Wednesday in an attack on a ceremony organized by the French consulate to commemorate the end of World War I in a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, officials said.
The ceremony — attended by representatives from France, Greece, Italy, Britain and the United States — was struck with an improvised explosive device, the French embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a statement. An improvised explosive device struck the ceremony, attended by representatives of France, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, the French embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a statement.
“Such attacks on innocent people are shameful and entirely without justification,” the embassy added. “Such attacks on innocent people are shameful and entirely without justification,” the embassy said.
The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions between France and a number of Muslim countries, after the republication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo was followed by a chain of events that included two stabbings, protests in Muslim nations, and a call by some Muslim authorities to boycott French goods. Two other knife attacks on French soil by young Muslim extremists in recent weeks have further increased the tensions. The attack comes at a time of heightened tensions between France and a number of Muslim countries, after the republication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. France has since been targeted by a series of knife attacks, protests in Muslim nations and a call by some Muslim countries to boycott French goods.
It was unclear exactly how many people were injured in Wednesday’s blast and the authorities have not yet released information on a potential suspect or the motives behind the attack. Two knife attacks on French soil by young Muslim extremists in recent weeks have added to the tensions.
Nathalie Goulet, a French senator and the vice-president of a parliamentary friendship group between France and Gulf countries, said an explosive device had apparently been thrown at the cemetery. She said that two wounded people had minor injuries but could not give details about their identities. It was not immediately clear exactly how many people were injured in Wednesday’s explosion and the authorities have not yet released information on possible suspects or motives.
The consul general of France in Jeddah, French expatriates and officials from European countries were among those who attended the ceremony, she noted. France’s foreign ministry said in a statement that “several people were injured” but did not provide additional details. The state-run Saudi Press Agency said two people had been lightly injured in the attack, a Greek consular worker and a Saudi security guard. The report did not say where or how the attack occurred.
Nathalie Goulet, a French senator and the vice-president of a parliamentary friendship group between France and Gulf countries, added that a third person, a British national, also suffered minor injuries.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Greek consular worker was a policeman accompanying a consulate employee to the ceremony. The wounded policeman has been hospitalized but his life was not in danger, it said.
Ms. Goulet said that an explosive device had apparently been thrown at the cemetery during the ceremony, which was attended by the consul-general of France in Jeddah, European expatriates and officials from European countries, among others. France’s foreign ministry said several people were injured, but did not provide additional details.
No French citizens were reported to be injured and it is unclear whether France was specifically targeted. But the French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ludovic Pouille, said on Twitter: “In this context, the calls for maximum vigilance addressed in recent days to French residents or visitors to Saudi Arabia are renewed.”
Nadia Chaaya, an employee of the consulate who attended the ceremony, told the French news outlet BFMTV that the attack occurred near the end of a speech by the consul general.Nadia Chaaya, an employee of the consulate who attended the ceremony, told the French news outlet BFMTV that the attack occurred near the end of a speech by the consul general.
“We heard this explosion,” Ms. Chaaya said. “In the heat of the moment, we didn’t really understand very well, but we felt that we were the target because we immediately saw the smoke and we were of course in panic mode.”“We heard this explosion,” Ms. Chaaya said. “In the heat of the moment, we didn’t really understand very well, but we felt that we were the target because we immediately saw the smoke and we were of course in panic mode.”
Wednesday’s blast came as numerous Remembrance Day ceremonies were held across Europe to mark the 102nd anniversary of the armistice signed by Germany and Allied countries to end World War I. President Emmanuel Macron of France attended a ceremony in Paris on Wednesday morning. The ceremony was one of many held across Europe and in other countries to commemorate Remembrance Day, marking the 102nd anniversary of the armistice signed by Germany and Allied countries to end World War I.
President Emmanuel Macron of France attended a ceremony in Paris on Wednesday morning.
The attack struck a cemetery for non-Muslims in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. An article in a Saudi newspaper in 2011 quoted a local official as saying that the site had been in use since Portuguese sailors were first buried there in the 16th century. Since then, other non-Muslims who happened to die in Saudi Arabia had also been buried there, including the children of migrant workers.
Several Muslim countries, such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, publicly condemned the attack and supported Saudi Arabia in any measure to preserve its security.
James Cleverly, Britain’s minister for the Middle East and North Africa, said on Twitter: “I have full confidence the Saudi authorities will investigate this attack and prosecute those responsible for this cowardly act.”
The attack in Jeddah followed a number of others in recent weeks that targeted France amid tensions over the republication of the Charlie Hebdo caricatures in September.The attack in Jeddah followed a number of others in recent weeks that targeted France amid tensions over the republication of the Charlie Hebdo caricatures in September.
Those attacks, which French officials are treating as Islamist terrorism, included the stabbing of two people outside the former Paris offices of the satirical newspaper, the beheading of a teacher and the killing of three churchgoers in a basilica in Nice, southern France.Those attacks, which French officials are treating as Islamist terrorism, included the stabbing of two people outside the former Paris offices of the satirical newspaper, the beheading of a teacher and the killing of three churchgoers in a basilica in Nice, southern France.
On the same day as the basilica attack, a Saudi citizen wounded a guard in a knife attack at the French consulate in Jeddah, raising fears that France could be a target of extremists abroad. On the same day as the basilica attack, a Saudi citizen wounded a guard in a knife attack at the French consulate in Jeddah, raising fears that France was being targeted by extremists abroad.
The recent attacks in France prompted a broad crackdown on Muslim individuals and groups that the authorities considered extremists — at the risk of alienating the country’s own Muslim citizens. Beginning in October, the French government has taken moves to combat what it calls “Islamist separatism,” outlining measures designed to rein in the influence of radical Islam in the country and help develop an “Islam of France” compatible with the nation’s secular values. The recent attacks in France prompted a broad crackdown on Muslim individuals and groups that the authorities consider extremists — at the risk of alienating the country’s own Muslim citizens.
Mr. Macron’s own defense of the cartoons as protected free speech has also stoked anger in the Muslim world, drawing threats and calls from some countries for a boycott of French products and deepening a divide with some Muslim nations. Beginning in October, the French government has taken moves to combat what it calls “Islamist separatism,” outlining measures designed to rein in the influence of radical Islam in the country and help develop an “Islam of France” compatible with the nation’s secular values.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has been especially critical of Mr. Macron, saying last month that the French president needed “mental treatment.” Other majority Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, have also officially condemned the cartoons as offensive and warned against attempts to link Islam and terrorism. Mr. Macron’s own defense of the cartoons as protected free speech also stoked anger in the Muslim world, drawing threats and calls from some countries for a boycott of French products and deepening a divide with some Muslim nations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has been especially critical of Mr. Macron, saying last month that the French president needed “mental treatment.” Other Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, have also condemned the cartoons as offensive and warned against attempts to link Islam and terrorism.
In an interview with Al Jazeera last month, Mr. Macron tried to smooth the situation, emphasizing that his “country is a country that has no problem with any religion.” Mr. Macron said that he understood the feelings of Muslims who were shocked by the cartoons but added that the “radical Islam” he was trying to fight was a threat to all people, especially Muslims.In an interview with Al Jazeera last month, Mr. Macron tried to smooth the situation, emphasizing that his “country is a country that has no problem with any religion.” Mr. Macron said that he understood the feelings of Muslims who were shocked by the cartoons but added that the “radical Islam” he was trying to fight was a threat to all people, especially Muslims.
Saudi Arabia has generally been safe for non-Muslims in recent years, although a suicide bomber blew himself up near the United States Consulate in Jeddah in 2016, wounding two guards.
Ben Hubbard contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon.