Jindal defends Muslim claims amid furor

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) is defending his claim that there are Muslim “no-go zones” in Europe, where Islamic extremists are in power and the police don’t enforce the law.

“I’ve heard from folks here there are neighborhoods where women don’t feel comfortable going in without veils; that’s wrong,” Jindal told CNN. “We all know there are neighborhoods where police are less likely to go into those neighborhoods.”

Jindal first made the claims in a speech on Islamic extremism to the Henry Jackson Society in London.

Political officials around the world have said the claims are outrageous and untrue.

“When I heard this, I frankly choked on my porridge and I thought it must be April Fools’ Day,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron, according to CNN.

The “no-go zone” claims were also made by a Fox News analyst over the weekend, but the cable news outlet has since acknowledged that there is no basis for the allegations and apologized.

“To be clear, there is no formal designation of these zones in either country, and no credible information to support the assertion that there are specific areas in these countries that exclude individuals based solely on their religion,” Fox News anchor Julie Banderas said. “We deeply regret the errors and apologize to any and all who may have taken offense including the people of France and England.”

But Jindal, when confronted by a CNN reporter, doubled down.

“I think the radical left absolutely wants to pretend like this problem is not here, but pretending it’s not here won’t make it go away,” he said.

“But exaggerating it into a no-go zone is also going too far,” the anchor countered.

“There are people here in London, there are neighborhoods where the women don’t feel safe walking into those neighborhoods without veils, there are neighborhoods where the police are less likely to go,” Jindal said. “That’s a dangerous thing.”

The anchor then asked Jindal to name a neighborhood or area where there were no-go zones.

“I will look,” he said. “I think your viewers know there are absolutely places where the police are less likely to go, there are absolutely know there are neighborhoods where they wouldn’t feel comfortable with their wives, their daughters, their sisters.”

Jindal is on a nine day “economic development mission” in Europe, meeting with corporate executives in Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom in an effort to improve economic ties between Louisiana and Western Europe.

However, Jindal has presidential ambitions, and the trip is also likely meant to bolster his foreign policy credentials.