The mayor of London on Friday dismissed the idea of Muslim “no-go zones” as “complete nonsense” and added that he thinks Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) could use a “gentle education” on the topic.
London Mayor Boris Johnson made an appearance at a Politico Playbook breakfast as part of his trade mission to the U.S. When asked about Jindal’s criticism of so-called Muslim “no-go zones” during a speech last month in London, Johnson replied “Oh, come on.”
“With great respect to Gov. Jindal and everybody else who’s made this kind of comment, I think they’re in need of some sort of gentle education on this point,” Johnson said. “I would be more than happy personally to escort Gov. Jindal around any area that he thinks is a ‘no-go zone.’ I will show him what a happy, thriving community it is with people jumbled up in all sorts of ways.”
Jindal was widely mocked for giving more oxygen to the already-debunked idea of “no-go zones,” neighborhoods that are allegedly controlled by Muslims and where non-Muslims do not enter. When pressed by a British reporter to specify what areas he was referring to as “no-go zones,” Jindal replied “There are people here in London that will tell you there are neighborhoods where the women don’t feel safe walking through those neighborhoods without veils. There are neighborhoods where the police are less likely to go.”
“There are no ‘no-go zones,’ nor will there be,” Johnson said Friday.