Prince Harry's racist remark about a Pakistan Platoon Member

[Energon]

The raghead thing I guess you can't get away with. That's definitely racial. The Packi one, for some would be offensive, and he should have been bright enough not to use it.

I agree.

It is common knowledge that the language used by most military personnel particularly in the infantry isn't exactly seeping with political correctness, and it doesn't seem like he meant it as part of an intensional racial commentary.

However Prince Harry is neither an ordinary soldier nor a common citizen, and by default he is under the microscope and everything he says and does is infused with extra meaning. He should have been at least sensible enough to realize this simple fact and refrained from using any racially insensitive words like Rag-head, packi etc.

 

[Flintlock]

Lol...amusing to see some people complaining about racist remarks, when they themselves have been guilty of the same plenty of times.

 

[blain2]

It's Britain's internal matter. **** is used to describe all brown skin people in UK. Both the perpetrator and victim are British citizens, there is no role for others to play.

UK is a former colonial master, its obvious some people feel they are superior at their own peril.

You are wrong. The victim (who is an excellent chap) is an Army officer in the Pakistan Army (1FF).

PAK1 is akin to the term "Nigger" in the United States. Here is Pakistan too there are terms of this nature. Its not suitable for someone in a position of prominence to use this type of language.

 

[roadrunner]

What? Pa ki is a racial insult in the USA? Oh dear, don't tell me some beer swilling Englishman's pub mentality could travel that far.

Pa ki used to be a racial insult for "brown people" in the UK. But this was before it was realized that many other people could be brown too.

Personally, I feel Harry didn't mean anything malicious behind either of those words. He was just being empty headed. He even took the pee out of the Queen and himself.

He shouldnt have said it, given his position. But not all the Royals are of the same maturity level.

Anyhow he's personally apologized to Raza. I think it should be dropped myself. It's not like he said it too vindictively, after all.

"Prince Harry has called to apologize his friend Ahmed Raza Khan after a home video he made in 2006 came to light. In the video..

He evidently made the call arrangements via a mutual friend to 'clear the air'. Khan has so far not made any complaint regarding the remarks."

 

[Energon]

You are wrong. The victim (who is an excellent chap) is an Army officer in the Pakistan Army (1FF).

In all honesty even if he was an unknown chap who wasn't an officer or even in the military, the epithet would have been just as inappropriate.


As a side note, does anyone know how this term even came to be? It seems like there are oodles of South Asians in the UK, and numerically I'm guessing Indians outnumber Pakistanis. So why the term Packi?

 

[roadrunner]

Pakistanis settled in the North, Indians crammed into Leicester and places in the South. Pakistanis and Indians are roughly equal in numbers in the UK, or were. Probably there were more Pakistanis at the time, or it just seemed that way.

At the time, the world was divided into 3 continents, England, Africa (Jamaica), and Pakistan.

There were names for all 3 continents of the world a while back.

Think of it as the Lebs of Australia, or the Spics of the US.

 

[blain2]

When it says that the level of British officers should be regarded with pity is this an insult against the standard of British officers? (The English in the article isn't good at places). If so then I am going to take serious offence to that, well I would if it was written by somebody who had worked or even been with British units when in a combat zone and knew better, not just from some ignorant civilian.

While Harry's actions were disgraceful they were some time ago before he 'matured' more. That doesn't mean that they can be excused though.

Ahmed Raza Khan is a hero for his actions no doubt about that, but no more than other officers and men. They are part of the job and if an officer is not ready to fight on for his men or a man for his friends, even if wounded then he doesn't belong in the British army. The Regimental system encourages this, a man must be ready to fight to the end for his friends and his second family (the family feel often comes about within Regiments as a man will spend most of their career within his chosen Regiment).

I agree with your point. The article above takes a broad stroke to every one. I myself have met some very fine British officers.

Consider the article a public reaction to the remarks by Harry in Pakistan. Pakistan Army and Captain Ahmed Raza Khan, both, have not reacted to it. Based on what I know, Prince Harry and Captain Raza Khan have talked with the former apologizing and Raza Khan saying "time to move on".

I am extremely well aware of the regimental system. We have the same here in Pakistan and it works well. I personally think that Prince Harry's statements were out of place but are excusable. I think the public reaction in Pakistan was one of shock because of the racist implications of the term being used by someone such as Prince Harry. That was it. Like many other things, this too will pass. I doubt it will have any effect on the Pakistan Army - British Army relations. Both have downplayed the incident.

 

[blain2]

What? Pa ki is a racial insult in the USA? Oh dear, don't tell me some beer swilling Englishman's pub mentality could travel that far.

Pa ki used to be a racial insult for "brown people" in the UK. But this was before it was realized that many other people could be brown too.

Personally, I feel Harry didn't mean anything malicious behind either of those words. He was just being empty headed. He even took the pee out of the Queen and himself.

He shouldnt have said it, given his position. But not all the Royals are of the same maturity level.

Anyhow he's personally apologized to Raza. I think it should be dropped myself. It's not like he said it too vindictively, after all.

"Prince Harry has called to apologize his friend Ahmed Raza Khan after a home video he made in 2006 came to light. In the video..

He evidently made the call arrangements via a mutual friend to 'clear the air'. Khan has so far not made any complaint regarding the remarks."

**** is a term similar to Nigger in the sense that it is used to describe a group of people in a derogatory manner. In the US, the term for Pakistanis specifically (not in a derogatory manner though) is "Paks".

I just posted the above article to highlight that Captain Raza Khan was not a run of the mill cadet at the RMAS. He did well and got on well with his peers. Harry's comments were probably in a casual manner and I think the fact that it got out is what has made this into a bigger issue. I am sure if he had said that to Ahmed Raza Khan, he would have ignored it.

 

[roadrunner]

**** is a term similar to Nigger in the sense that it is used to describe a group of people in a derogatory manner. In the US, the term for Pakistanis specifically (not in a derogatory manner though) is "Paks".

I think that has changed, at least here in the UK.

Let me give you two examples.

1) If someone said to me, "the Pa kis over there are coming to play some soccer with us", I wouldn't really be offended if their tone was right, and I felt they didn't mean anything malicious.

2) I would be offended if someone said, "those f-king Pa kis are taking over my country with their curry houses".

It's not the word "Pa ki" itself that is a problem here at all, perhaps it used to be. It's the intention.

I don't speak for everyone, and different people are going to be offended by different things.

But what he said in that video didn't seem to be with any malicious intent. It was just an empty headed bit of immaturity.

 

[blain2]

In all honesty even if he was an unknown chap who wasn't an officer or even in the military, the epithet would have been just as inappropriate.


As a side note, does anyone know how this term even came to be? It seems like there are oodles of South Asians in the UK, and numerically I'm guessing Indians outnumber Pakistanis. So why the term Packi?

Energon,

I was just responding to the point made earlier that the victim is a British citizen. He is not.

 

[Energon]

Energon,

I was just responding to the point made earlier that the victim is a British citizen. He is not.

Oh sorry mate, I didn't mean to put this on you. I just think any negative epithets are unacceptable when used by celebrities.