Saudi Arabia’s announcement Tuesday night that the Houthi terrorist organization had attempted to bomb Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, triggered a wave of condemnation across the Muslim world and beyond. According to the Saudi statement, the kingdom’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aircraft before it entered the airspace above Mecca. Sirens were activated across the city following the incident.
Saudi air defenses downed a drone over Mecca overnight.
Only the second attack ever on the holy city. The last was in 2017.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman. pic.twitter.com/IlKOtT9ZCV
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The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned what it called the “despicable attacks” carried out by the Houthis against the holy city. “This constitutes a desecration of the sanctity of the holy sites and mosques and an affront to the feelings of Muslims around the world,” it said. Yemen’s information minister, whose government is fighting the Houthi terrorist organization, said the escalation “once again exposes the true face and logic of this militia and confirms that it has no respect for the sanctity of the holy sites or the security of civilians.”
Kuwait and Jordan, Saudi Arabia’s neighbors to the east and west, also condemned the attack. Kuwait said that “this cowardly and shameful act constitutes a violation of the sanctity of Muslim holy sites and contempt for their religious significance.” Jordan described it as “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security, stability and territorial integrity,” without specifically mentioning Islam’s holy sites.
Condemnation also came from the Muslim-majority Asian nations of Malaysia and Pakistan. Malaysia’s prime minister said that “any attempt to harm the holy city of Mecca would be completely unacceptable.” Pakistan’s prime minister, who recently signed the “Mecca” defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, said he also “strongly condemns the criminal and despicable attempted drone attack on Mecca.” He did not, however, address the defense alliance recently signed with the kingdom, under which Pakistan committed to its defense.
Another country that signed onto the defense alliance but has yet to respond to the Houthi attack is Erdoğan’s Turkey. The same president who has recently spoken extensively about restoring Turkey to its former greatness as a Muslim empire has remained conspicuously silent as his new ally comes under attack. Has the first crack already appeared in the agreement?
The Houthis, for their part, deny that they attempted to strike the holy city, claiming that “there is no threat to the holy sites from Yemen.” Iran, the principal backer of the Houthi terrorist proxy, has also yet to respond to the attack.