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On January 14, 2004, President Jacques Chirac declared Aissa Dermouche the new prefect -- senior state representative -- of the Jura region. Dermouche, of Algerian heritage, was head of Audencia, a leading French business school; he is the country's only Muslim prefect. Three days after Dermouche was named prefect, a bomb destroyed his car. A week later, another explosion damaged the front door and glass façade of Audencia, and on January 29, a third detonation caused minor damage to a letterbox at the school attended by one of Dermouche's sons. All of the attacks were launched at a time, early in the morning, when they would be unlikely to actually hurt anyone, and seem to be largely symbolic in intent. Many feel the incident emphasizes the scale of tensions between French Muslims and non-Muslims, even as Dermouche has been held up as an example of French integration.
Photo: Olivier Morin/ Getty Images
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