Imam survives racist attack

2004-11-27 20:51

Sartene, France - Attackers shouting racist slurs opened fire on a Muslim prayer leader and scrawled a swastika in front of his door in the latest in an increase of racist incidents on the French island of Corsica, police said.

The Moroccan imam, Mohammed al-Akrach, was not injured in the attack at around 02:30 on Saturday at his home, which doubles as a prayer hall, in Sartene in southern Corsica.

Having first knocked at the imam's door, the attackers shouted racist slurs and fired gunshots when he came to answer. Before leaving, the group of several men also scrawled a swastika on the ground and the Corsican words "Arabi Fora" - Arabs out.

"They opened fire straight away, five or six shots," al-Akrach, 53, told reporters. "I hid myself near the wall. They tried to open the door by hitting it."

"I was very afraid but happily they then left by car," he added. "What happened is very serious."

There were no immediate claims of responsibility. Police were investigating.

A year ago, the front door of the imam's prayer hall was doused with inflammable liquid and set afire.

- AP