Why is Paki an unacceptable word, but not Brit? Because of Britain's bitter racial history

London Times ^ | January 12, 2009 | Murad Ahmed

[GOPGuide]

Our little Paki friend... Ahmed.” Oh boy. I've heard that one before. But not as recently as the friends I spoke to yesterday in Oldham, a place where racial tensions spilled into riots not long ago. Apparently, they still get called Paki all the time. By whom? “Oh, just little kids on the street. What can you do? They're only children.” Prince Harry is not a child. He is unlucky only in that, unlike most young men, his worst moments end up splashed across the front page of newspapers.

That he thought it acceptable to use the word Paki to refer to a Pakistani colleague represents a pathetic failure in his upbringing. Someone, somewhere along the line - a wise grandparent perhaps - should have told him to cut it out. These days the word Paki is used only by those who don't know any better, rather than by those who should. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission thinks that we need an inquiry into the Prince's behaviour. What would we discover? That the third in line to the throne is a bit of an idiot? That is an open-and-shut case. But we should have an inquiry about the word Paki.

[GOPGuide]

Thank you!

[manapua]

Uh oh! The Horowhenua District (New Zealand) has a Paki Road. So does Honolulu, Hawaii. Lawsuit time!

[tlb]

For what it’s worth, in Pakistan they don’t seem to get too upset by the word.

http://www.paki.com/

[Volunteer]

I am sorry, but this doesn't seem like a big deal. After all, the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate used the "n" word and he is still serving.

The UK has gone from running the world to being a collection of overly sensitive, college girls.

[kajingawd]

crazy canuck...

I am so offended by my own words...

Can’t believe half-witted Islamic Propagandists are winning over so many minds...insane.

[bert]

Paki is a good word.I use it all the time. It was taught to me by a Prince

[cynwoody]

Here's another quaint British word, associated with Sir Winston:

wog (wŏg)
n. Chiefly British Offensive Slang.

Used as a disparaging term for a person of color, especially a person from northern Africa or western or southern Asia.

It was used in a sentence by George Wigg, the Labour MP from Dudley in 1949, long before the EU:

The Honourable Gentleman and his friends think they are all 'wogs'. Indeed, the Right Honourable Member for Woodford [i.e. Winston Churchill] thinks that the 'wogs' begin at Calais.

The word is nice and short, but not specific enough. I think I'll stick with "sand nazi".

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Doesn’t Wog in fact stand for Worthy Oriental Gentleman, or something similar?

That’s an insult???

(slaps own forehead in disbelief)

[A_Former_Democrat]

You know, I’ve never liked the Green Bay Pakis. Nor the NC State Wolfpakis.

I used to love playing PakiMan in the bars. Remember that song “PakiMan Fever” (”it’s driving me crazy”)?

I think I was in Cub Scout Paki 369, but not sure.

Ok, need to sign off, I need to Paki for my trip tomorrow.

[ApplegateRanch]

Remember, Your Highness; never, ever use the term “Paki”; the proper term is “Wogs”.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Most of the comments on the BBC site would seem to indicate that most British people think this is being blown out of proportion. Of course, we all know if an establishment figure in the US was filmed calling a black man by the ‘n’ word, your media would not be interested in that kind of thing at all....

[MaggieCarta]

...But of course, this immigrant fifth columnist has been taught that only whites can have a “bitter racial history.”

Yes, perhaps a grandparent of the columnist could have taught him better.

"Paki." I'm just not getting it...

[Enchante]

When these stooopid so-called “human rights” campaigners ban everyone from calling me a “Yank” or even worse a “Gringo” then I might care......

Make the “human rights” campaigners go everywhere in Latin America stamping out the word “Gringo” which really offends me!!!

.....on 2nd thought, no, it’s all rather stupid to get worked up about a simple abbreviation of a country or people’s name. It is NOT like the “N-word” — “Paki” is simply a shortened version of “Pakistani” — is anyone suggesting that no one should be referred to as “Pakistani”??

As noted, it must be time to ban the abbreviated word “Brit” and many others.......

[TheThinker]

As I recall, Britain’s “bitter racial history” involved ending the slave trade, whereas Arabs “bitter racial history” includes slavery up to this day.

But of course, this immigrant fifth columnist has been taught that only whites can have a “bitter racial history.”

What you said...I agree with both points wholeheartedly.

[ApplegateRanch]

As I learned it long ago:

W.O.G.S. work shirts were issued to Middle Eastern/Indian (chiefly RR & roadway) public services projects laborers.

Worker/Works On Government Services.

[robomatik]

"...the latin adjective “niger” - which meant the color black"

iirc, the latin word "negrum" means "black."

[Malsua]

Reminds me of that Star Trek episode "Let that be your last battlefield" Where one race is black on the left the other, black on the right.

As an American, this has the same relevance.

Kirk and Spock are confused as to why they fight and this exchange takes place with Commissioner Bele:

BELE:"It is obvious to the most simpleminded that Lokai is of an inferior breed."
SPOCK: "The obvious visual evidence, Commissioner, is that he is of the same breed as yourself."
BELE:"Are you blind, Commander Spock? Well, look at me. Look at me!"
SPOCK: "You're black on one side and white on the other."
BELE: "I am black on the right side."
SPOCK: "I fail to see the significant difference."
BELE: "Lokai is white on the right side. All of his people are white on the right side."

[ApplegateRanch]

if an establishment figure in the US was filmed calling a black man by the ‘n’ word, your media would not be interested in that kind of thing at all....

Depends upon if it is Democrat Senator, of a Republican anything.

Also, this has been dredged up from three years ago, so is hardly "news"; more like "olds".

[Southern Partisan]

Paki...someone from Pak-istan
Afghan...someone from Afghan-istan
Tajik...someone from Tajik-istan
and so on.

Bubba...someone from Alabamastan.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Mate, what the word ‘paki’ signifies in the US and what it signifies in Britain are two different things. Over here it is an offensive racial epithet. Over there it’s just shorthand for someone from pakistan, but the american perception is irrelevent when Prince Harry is the one using the word.

But, like I said, the British Army isn’t Pee Cee, nor should it be, and the hacks who exposed this aren’t striking a blow for racial harmony, they’re just a bunch of opportunistic c****s looking to shift newspapers...