Published 05:42 IST, October 30th 2020
Saudi authorities arrest one for alleged knife attack at French consulate in Jeddah
Hours after the France church attack, Saudi police arrested a man outside the French Consulate in Jeddah for allegedly stabbing the guard with a sharp tool
Hours after the France church attack, Saudi police arrested a man outside the French Consulate in Jeddah for allegedly stabbing the guard with a sharp tool. According to Saudi state media, the stabbing attack, which took place on Thursday, October 29, resulted in minor injuries and the guard was moved to a hospital. The incident in Saudi Arabia comes amid heightened anti-France sentiment across the Muslim world and terrorist attacks in two French cities.
The French embassy in Saudi Arabia condemned the attack and called it "flagrant". In a statement, the embassy in Riyadh said that the French Consulate general Jeddah was subjected to a knife stabbing incident targeting security guard. The officials said that the Saudi security forces immediately arrested the perpetrator and further informed that the security guard’s health condition remains stable.
While condemning the "vicious attack" against a diplomatic facility, the officials said that that embassy affirms its full support for the victim and expresses its confidence in the Saudi authorities to uncover the circumstances of the accident and ensure the security of French facilities and community in the Kingdom.
Muslim nations call for boycott
The incident comes after French President Emmanuel Macron vigorously defended the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on grounds of free speech. Several leaders of Muslim-majority nations and clerical establishments in several countries have called for a boycott of France products. Macron has drawn fire from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord has also ‘firmly condemned’ his comments.
Anti-French sentiment has been high across many Muslim countries. Tensions have also been stoked by several incidents in the past month, including the re-publication of Charlie Hebdo cartoons. Moreover, tensions have sharply increased after a man of Chechen origin beheaded a French teacher, who had to show the Muhammad drawings to the classroom.
Updated 05:42 IST, October 30th 2020