Zwarte Schaap
18-01-04, 18:10
Auto van Franse prefect opgeblazen
In de nacht van zaterdag op zondag is de auto van de eerste Franse prefect van Algerijnse afkomst opgeblazen. In alle vroegte, rond 4:40 uur explodeerde zijn Saab die op zo'n twintig meter van zijn huis in Nantes stond. Aissa Dermouche was nog maar sinds enkele dagen prefect van de regio Jura. Op het moment van de explosie was hij thuis.
President Jacques Chirac zei in een reactie op de aanslag dat de daders moeten worden opgespoord en zwaar gestraft zullen worden. Dominique Perben, de Franse minister van Justitie, stelt alles in het werk om de daders spoedig te achterhalen. "Symbolen van de Republiek en de autoriteit van de staat mogen niet worden aangevallen, aldus de minister.
'Attempted assassination' of French prefect
An explosion has destroyed the parked car of a newly appointed French prefect of Algerian origin.
An apparent attack, the explostion is a high-profile blow to efforts to integrate France's minorities.
The blast occurred on Sunday at about 04:30 (0330 GMT) in Nantes, western France, close to the home of Aissa Dirmoucha, 57, police sources said.
On Wednesday, the French government appointed Dirmoucha prefect of the eastern Jura area, a post that includes regional responsibility for law and order.
"There is no doubt that this concerns a criminal act," said Jean-Marie Huet, state prosecutor in Nantes. "Tests have been carried out on the shell of the vehicle so we can conduct analyses to determine the nature of the explosive used."
Justice Minister Dominique Perben, speaking in Strasbourg, told reporters he was outraged: "Symbols of the Republic and the authority of the state cannot be attacked," he said.
The vehicle was empty at the time of the blast and no one was hurt, the police sources said. Huet said the attack was well prepared.
"This attack... targeted the new prefect personally and the symbol that he represents", he said.
First minority member
Dirmoucha was not the first member of a minority to be nominated for an influential post in France, but his appointment was particularly sensitive at a time when the country is debating how to integrate its Muslim minority better.
The apparent attack underlines the problems in assimilating France five million Muslims and other minorities.
On Saturday, thousands of Muslims protested against a looming ban on Islamic headscarves in French state schools.
Many French politicians and voters support the planned law
The centre-right government hopes the headscarf ban will prevent the far-right National Front from cashing in on racial strife in regional elections in March. Many on the far right resent immigrants taking influential posts.
Dirmoucha symbolises success among France's immigrants. Born in an Algerian village, he later came to France and had been director of the Ecole Superieure de Commerce business school in Nantes since 1989 before being appointed prefect of Jura.
Bron: Al Jazeera 18/01/04
In de nacht van zaterdag op zondag is de auto van de eerste Franse prefect van Algerijnse afkomst opgeblazen. In alle vroegte, rond 4:40 uur explodeerde zijn Saab die op zo'n twintig meter van zijn huis in Nantes stond. Aissa Dermouche was nog maar sinds enkele dagen prefect van de regio Jura. Op het moment van de explosie was hij thuis.
President Jacques Chirac zei in een reactie op de aanslag dat de daders moeten worden opgespoord en zwaar gestraft zullen worden. Dominique Perben, de Franse minister van Justitie, stelt alles in het werk om de daders spoedig te achterhalen. "Symbolen van de Republiek en de autoriteit van de staat mogen niet worden aangevallen, aldus de minister.
'Attempted assassination' of French prefect
An explosion has destroyed the parked car of a newly appointed French prefect of Algerian origin.
An apparent attack, the explostion is a high-profile blow to efforts to integrate France's minorities.
The blast occurred on Sunday at about 04:30 (0330 GMT) in Nantes, western France, close to the home of Aissa Dirmoucha, 57, police sources said.
On Wednesday, the French government appointed Dirmoucha prefect of the eastern Jura area, a post that includes regional responsibility for law and order.
"There is no doubt that this concerns a criminal act," said Jean-Marie Huet, state prosecutor in Nantes. "Tests have been carried out on the shell of the vehicle so we can conduct analyses to determine the nature of the explosive used."
Justice Minister Dominique Perben, speaking in Strasbourg, told reporters he was outraged: "Symbols of the Republic and the authority of the state cannot be attacked," he said.
The vehicle was empty at the time of the blast and no one was hurt, the police sources said. Huet said the attack was well prepared.
"This attack... targeted the new prefect personally and the symbol that he represents", he said.
First minority member
Dirmoucha was not the first member of a minority to be nominated for an influential post in France, but his appointment was particularly sensitive at a time when the country is debating how to integrate its Muslim minority better.
The apparent attack underlines the problems in assimilating France five million Muslims and other minorities.
On Saturday, thousands of Muslims protested against a looming ban on Islamic headscarves in French state schools.
Many French politicians and voters support the planned law
The centre-right government hopes the headscarf ban will prevent the far-right National Front from cashing in on racial strife in regional elections in March. Many on the far right resent immigrants taking influential posts.
Dirmoucha symbolises success among France's immigrants. Born in an Algerian village, he later came to France and had been director of the Ecole Superieure de Commerce business school in Nantes since 1989 before being appointed prefect of Jura.
Bron: Al Jazeera 18/01/04