Religion, Diplomacy, and Fear: The 1858 Jeddah Incident and the Rise of Anti-Muslim Sentiment in Europe

Abstract

The Jeddah Incident of 1858 offers a revealing case for understanding how local tensions in the Ottoman provinces were represented in the European press. A discursive repertoire shaped during events such as the Greek Revolt, French expansion in North Africa, and developments in India from the early nineteenth century onward resurfaced prominently in European narratives following the Jeddah Incident. The events that erupted in Jeddah on June 15th were portrayed by elements of the European press as a continuation of “Islamic fanaticism,” a framing that recast the incident within a civilisation–barbarism dichotomy while obscuring underlying economic rivalries and diplomatic frictions. The fact that extreme proposals, such as the temporary occupation of Mecca, were discussed in certain British political circles illustrates the extent to which religious sensitivities and imperial interests had become intertwined. Drawing on British diplomatic correspondence, consular reports, and European press coverage, this study examines how the Jeddah Incident intensified existing discourses and was interpreted across different ideological milieus. It demonstrates that the rhetorical patterns crystallised in 1858 were not confined to Jeddah but would go on to reappear in European public and political debates during subsequent crises, including those in Damascus and Mount Lebanon in 1860, as well as the later Cretan, Bulgarian, and Armenian crises. These narratives, which influenced the pressure policies of figures such as William Ewart Gladstone, render the Jeddah Incident a significant moment for understanding the continuity of anti-Islamic and, more specifically, anti-Ottoman thought in nineteenth-century Europe.

Keywords

• 1858 Jeddah incident
• Ottoman Empire
• Indian rebellion
• Perception of Islam
• European press
• British diplomacy

Din, Diplomasi ve Korku: 1858 Cidde Olayı ve Avrupa’da Müslüman Karşıtı Duyguların Yükselişi

Abstract

1858 Cidde olayı, Osmanlı taşrasındaki yerel gerilimlerin Avrupa basınında nasıl temsil edildiğini anlamak açısından dikkat çekici bir örnektir. XIX. yüzyılın ilk yarısından itibaren Yunan isyanı, Kuzey Afrika’daki Fransız yayılmacılığı ve Hindistan’daki gelişmeler sırasında oluşan söylemsel birikim, Cidde hadisesi sonrasında Avrupa basınında yeniden görünür hale gelmiştir. Cidde’de 15 Haziran’da patlak veren olaylar, Avrupa kamuoyunda “İslamî fanatizmin devamı” olarak sunulurken, bu söylem yerel ekonomik rekabet ve diplomatik gerilimlerin üstünü örterek olayı medeniyet-barbarlık karşıtlığı içinde yeniden kurgulamıştır. Bazı İngiliz siyasî çevrelerinde Mekke’nin geçici işgali gibi uç önerilerin tartışılması, dönemin dinî hassasiyetleriyle emperyal çıkarlarının nasıl iç içe geçtiğini göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, İngiliz diplomatik belgeleri, konsolosluk raporları ve Avrupa basınındaki yansımaları karşılaştırmalı olarak ele alarak, Cidde olayının mevcut söylemleri nasıl yoğunlaştırdığını ve farklı ideolojik çevrelerde nasıl yorumlandığını incelemektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışma, 1858 söyleminin yalnızca Cidde bağlamında kalmayıp, 1860 Şam ve Lübnan ile sonraki yıllarda Girit, Bulgar ve Ermeni krizlerinde Avrupa kamuoyunda ve siyasî söyleminde tekrarlandığını göstermektedir. Bu retorik, William Evart Gladstone gibi liderlerin Osmanlı’ya yönelik baskı politikalarında etkili olurken, Cidde olayını Avrupa’da genelde İslam ancak özelde Osmanlı karşıtı düşüncenin sürekliliğini anlamak açısından tarihsel bir dönüm noktası haline getirmiştir.

Keywords

• 1858 Cidde olayı
• Osmanlı Devleti
• Hindistan ayaklanması
• İslam algısı
• Avrupa basını
• İngiliz diplomasisi

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