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Jindal invites Britain’s ridicule over Muslim ‘no-go’ areas remark

Days after an American described as an ‘expert’ on terrorism was roundly mocked for claiming on television that Birmingham was a ‘Muslim-only’ city, Indian-origin US presidential aspirant repeated the line during a speech to a British think-tank, inviting ridicule.

Updated on: Jan 22, 2015, 24:21:20 IST
Hindustan Times | By , London
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Days after an American described as an ‘expert’ on terrorism was roundly mocked for claiming on television that Birmingham was a ‘Muslim-only’ city, Indian-origin US presidential aspirant repeated the line during a speech to a British think-tank, inviting ridicule.

Bobby-Jindal-43-surfaced-in-London-this-week-at-an-event-organised-by-the-Henry-Jackson-Society-in-the-House-of-Commons
Bobby-Jindal-43-surfaced-in-London-this-week-at-an-event-organised-by-the-Henry-Jackson-Society-in-the-House-of-Commons

Steven Emerson, the ‘expert’, had made his claims during an on-air discussion on Fox News after the recent Paris events. Amidst a welter of criticism and Prime Minister David Cameron calling Emerson a ‘complete idiot’, he and the news channel tendered apologies.

Bobby Jindal, 43, surfaced in London this week at an event organised by the Henry Jackson Society in the House of Commons, and claimed that there were ‘Muslim no-go areas’ in Britain and western Europe. Challenged later on television, he insisted he was right.

Emerson’s remarks hit the headlines, but the British news media and politicians largely ignored Jindal’s views. Several reader of the tabloid press said his views were justified, while others heaped ridicule.

Government sources would not deign Jindal’s views with a response. “The Prime Minister has already commented in the press on this issue”, a spokesperson told HT.

In his speech, Jindal, a former Rhodes scholar at Oxford, said that “in the West, non-assimilationist Muslims establish enclaves and carry out as much of Sharia law as they can without regard for the laws of the democratic countries which provided them a new home”.

  • Prasun Sonwalkar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Prasun Sonwalkar

    Prasun Sonwalkar was Editor (UK & Europe), Hindustan Times. During more than three decades, he held senior positions on the Desk, besides reporting from India’s north-east and other states, including a decade covering politics from New Delhi. He has been reporting from UK and Europe since 1999.Read More

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