AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
NEW ORLEANS — Pakistani-Americans are working to make sure that Bobby Jindal, an American of Indian descent running for Louisiana governor, is not elected to office, the head of a Pakistani group said yesterday.
With less than a week until the vote Saturday, Mr. Jindal, 32, a Republican, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, 60, are even in the polls.
But the head of the Pakistani American Congress, Ashraf Abbasi, said his members will unite to prevent a Jindal win and endorse Mrs. Blanco.
“When Jindal declared his candidacy, the first remark he made was derogatory to Muslims. He said, ’I am not a Muslim,’” said Mr. Abbasi, a Texas businessman originally from Pakistan. “He was saying that he qualified for the job because he’s not a Muslim. He looked like the brown guy from the Indian subcontinent, so he wanted to tell his white club he’s not a Muslim.”
The Pakistani-American Business Association of Louisiana raised about $50,000 for Mrs. Blanco at a fund-raiser on Oct. 21.
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