French security chief condemns anti-Muslim acts in Corsica
PARIS - France's interior minister sought Wednesday to halt violence and ease tensions in Corsica after protesters vandalized a Muslim prayer room in anger over an ambush of firefighters.
The incidents last week on the Mediterranean island reflect broader religious and social tensions around France after a year marred by extremist attacks by a few angry young French Muslims.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, visiting the Corsican city of Ajaccio on Wednesday, told reporters "there is no place in Corsica for violence or racism."
"Our country, in the face of ... terrorism and the divisions it creates, has a great need for respect," he said.
