As of yesterday the English media has hurtled itself into yet another royal controversy, where The News of the World videos of Prince Harry, filmed some three back while he was on duty with the Royal Air Force, to have used some unacceptable language. He basically bad mouthed an Asian cadet calling him ‘PAKI‘, ridiculed a friend with the word ‘Raghead‘ and probably the most offending snipe for the English Royal family was when he teased the Queen mother calling her ‘granny’ and signing off on the video with ‘God Save You … yeah, that’s great‘
The Royal Air Force was termed this language as unacceptable and the Royal family has been quick to issue a public apology.
Panning around the floor, over his bored or sleeping fellow trainees, he says: “This is luxury. And here is our first example of possibly how to admin yourself (meaning take care of yourself and your kit) in the terminal awaiting the RAF.” Focusing on his colleagues, Harry comments “Now that is bad admin, bad admin” before it tracking over and zooming in on an Asian cadet yards away.
“Anybody else around here?” he asks. “Ah, our little Paki friend… Ahmed.”
In a separate incident, the 24-year-old is heard calling another officer cadet who is jokingly wearing a veil on his head a “f***ing raghead“.
The video, shot n 2006, also shows the Prince joking about his grandmother the Queen – who is Commander in Chief of the British Army – in front of other cadets. With his Army friends watching on, he is filmed making a joke call to her, saying: “Granny I’ve got to go, got to go, send my love to the Corgis and Grandpa.” He signs off by saying in front of them: “I’ve got to go, got to go, bye. God Save You… yeah, that’s great.“
Times Online tried to defend the incident saying that Prince Harry’s ‘paki’ comment needs to be put into context
All British Army officers are obliged, as holders of the Queen’s commission, to behave according to high ethical and moral standards and to conduct themselves in public and private in a way that will not damage or undermine the reputation of the Service. To be caught on video referring to a fellow Sandhurst officer cadet as a “Paki” is an infringement of the Army’s golden rules of behaviour. His use of the word “raghead” in referring to another officer cadet compounded his error of judgment.
Prince Harry was clearly not attempting to be deliberately offensive towards his Pakistani colleague but appeared to be using the pejorative term in a light-hearted way. Similarly, the term “raghead” is used not infrequently in the Army when soldiers are referring to the “opposition” in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It may be innocent fun for Prince Harry, and quite possibly the insulting remarks were not intentional, but I feel its just that the English tabloid simply love an opportunity to snub at the royal family.
The word ‘Paki’ may be rude, but quite often the reaction depends on how the comment was delivered, I personally fail to see the seriousness in Prince Harry’s comment, so lets all just kiss and make up, we have other more serious issues to take on.
Telegraph shares a comment by the uncle of Ahmed Raza Khan, the Pakistani who was referred to as a Paki by Prince Harry
Iftakhar Raja, Mr Khan’s uncle, said he “expected better” from a member of the Royal family. He described the comments as “definitely derogatory” and “insulting”.
Mr Raja, from Croydon, south London, said: “At no time [Mr Khan] told us that he was called Paki or he was a good friend of Prince Harry, I mean, although they served together, that is true. “I am proud to be British and if someone called me Pakistani I would be proud to be called that, but Paki is definitely a derogatory remark and it’s insulting.
“We expect better from our Royal Family on whom we spend millions and millions of pounds for training and schooling and they come with the f-word and calling people Paki or whatever.”
More from the Pakistani Blogosphere at Pro-Pakistani
Comments
26 responses to “Prince Harry, uses racist terms – Paki & Raghead”
Oh come on Give Harry a braek and me the Pakistani a break .
I am glad Harry could act like a commoner and not posh God send arrogrant brute who will think oh ! a weirdo Paki ,what is he doing in British army.
I appreciate the spirit of Prince Harry that he acted just like a boy next door and I am sure if he had prejudice or racism he would have come up with sophistication.
I am a Pakistani and Paki is a short of Pakistan.What is wrong with it?
Although few years back it was termed as racial word but I do not understand what is racial about it.
This is my identity ,my ethnicity.Monarch or head of British arms happens to be queen but let us not forget she is just a granny to this boy .
So why not ?what is wrong with being relax and laugh about it.I am impressed actually that he is not afraid and not full of hate that he is going on mission against Muslims or Terrorists.To him it is just a mission and his bravery to smile while going to face real danger, raises him above many.
Well what can we say about that. Infact its just plain stupid to cover something like that. Racism is everywhere. He is a prince and if he makes those remarks, then perhaps its not because he wanted to do it but because he was raised in such an environment where maybe to him its another word to call an asian. Pakistanis, Indians and Bangladeshis and also Srilankans to some extent are called “Rafiq” or “Siddiq” in Saudi Arabia. It really made me mad but then look at the meaning of these words. Both mean Friends. Similar is with Paki. Its a short for Pakistani. We call him making a racist remark. What about us Pakistanis. Has anyone thought about what kind of remarks we make to our fellow Pakistanis especially from NWFP and other provinces??? Just think. We call them Khan Sb. Even if he is speaking pretty good Urdu or English and yet he has no part of his name what contains Khan but only that he is from that Province. and other stuff that they do odd things because they are Khan. These are just a few examples that we do it in our daily lives without knowing what this would do to them. Everyone in our society deserves to be respected and called in a polite way. Start taking this step. So, If we don’t stop mollesting or degrading other people, others wont do it to us. Think positively.
Let us ask the crown prince of Pakistan, who happens to be in the UK, to defend the honor of the nation that he is destined to rule and challenge Prince Harry to a duel to the death.
(*hehe*)
HAHA poor ol’Harry…it was just a joke – come on!!!! I remember him wearing
NAZI SUIT at a costume party and there was a huge fuss about that back then!!!
To the press
leave him alone
youve already killed his mum
Akc
I am sorry to pick up on you again.
It was not Nazi suit ,it was poor tee shirt with Nazi badge no that was way out of order something like if Bilawal wears Indian army badge.
well in this case I am racist to myself as I am ProudPaki!
Although I have no love with royals or majority double standard Brits or Brit Pakis. However this whole thing has blown out of proportion. Paki is no offense until unless it has been used with something else, eg. F***ing Paki, Paki sh*t etc.
I think we Pakistanis should reclaim this world by calling ourselves Pakis and be proud at it rather being offended. Remember Nigger? it was racist word but black people start using it more than others and now they call each other Nigga with pride.
Lets do the same.
Farrah,
Let me quote Sun (prorably your best tabloid)…It read: “Prince Harry has apologised for any offence or embarrassment he has caused. He realises it was a poor choice of costume.” It was a costume. Please get your facts right – so much for your responsibe statement LOL.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4170083.stm
@Molly Farr
Now its his turn.
Thanks for linking to us Teeth Maestro. Just wanted to make a small correction that it is Pro-Pakistan and not Pro Pakistani.
By the way your detail analysis of the story is truly amazing and that is what we always learn from experienced bloggers like you.
1975 Joburg it was correct to say black
not coloured this meant a bit quite
Back in london 77 you had to say coloured not black
In joburg every year they had a coon show this was run by africans, and it was very valued by the africans.
A rose by any other name
You have to have a complex to be so touchy
1975 Joburg it was correct to say black
not coloured this meant a bit white
Back in london 77 you had to say coloured not black
In joburg every year they had a coon show this was run by africans, and it was very valued by the africans.
A rose by any other name
You have to have a complex to be so touchy
look at it another way, the term raghead is no longer just an army phrase, now the whole world will enjoy it.
I nobody could take the piss, there would be no more comedy
I don’t know whether he is a racist just yet, but I do know that the day he will truly become one, he will learn not to say it out loud, he will learn to practice it…like a true world leader!
When you’re in line for the throne, there are plenty of things you should know better than to be caught saying. Harry isn’t a normal ‘bloke’, and never will be. Of course, if he wants to give up our tax-money, the palaces, servants and general luxury, he can say whatever he likes.
his is just a farce! Paki is used in India to refer to a Muslim without any racist undertones, in the same way Catholic refers to a non-Unionist in Northern Ireland. In the UK, we use words like Taff for Welsh people, Paddy or Mick for Irish people, and Jock for Scottish people. There is no racism intended in that, so why should Paki be regarded any differently? When I was growing up, we always went down to buy things from the local “paki shop” without making any racist comment.
Is it because they are brown skinned? This is just ridiculous; the next thing you know, racism will be screamed for what southern English people call northern English people: “northern monkeys”. Just because something might pertain to skin colour does not make it racist. We joke about people with ginger hair, people with curly hair, fat people, skinny people, short people, tall people … that is the beauty of jokes and friendships.
I am sick and tired of listening to all these radicals looking for an excuse to vent their deep-seated anger. To turn the question round, why do so many UK Pakistanis never express such anger at Al Qeda, the local kebab shop with its anti-Western posters, or the Imam who preaches hate at Friday prayers?
I think people need to lighten up and put things in perspective in the UK. The danger is not the use of harnmless words meant as a joke, but the pure evil and hatred of the West by people who have turned their backs on Western freedoms for any excuse to hate and plot devastation!
KarimG @ 5:15 am
You nailed it, couldn’t agree more.
Than he’ll be awarding people like Salman Rushdie like his granny.
I used white bastards for my English Mates apart from Dudlyish for my poor English friends!
I had always asked mates to distuingish betweens Pakis and MP’s (Mirpuris) – MP’s the worst lot in the UK – highest drop out rate; hightest crime rate ; lowest graduate rate!!! drugies!
Yehuda Ikbar: I TOTALLY agree.
@ I ALWAYS TOLD THE BRITS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
MQM’S LEADERS AND MQM’S PAYING POOR HONEST SINCERE
MEMBERS, THE LEADERS OF MQM LOOK MORE BLACK THAN
NORMAL BLACKS, BECAUSE THEIR CONSCIENCE IS TARNISHED.
@yehuda ikbar,
how about jewish, Israelis or zionists in the
perspective of Israeli genocide and holocaust
inflicted on Palestinians, will it be out pure
love and humour, as i notice you have covered everybody,
except the zionists Israelis.
He was pretty stupid for thinking that he wouldn't get caught and that there wouldn't be a massive media furore over it. I've put exactly what I think here, I won't put the whole lot in this comment kinda defeats the point: http://thealternativetake.blogspot.com/
Storm in a teacup. How many Pakistanis would ever apologise for calling jews and christians pigs that should be killed?
We need to stop taking ourselves so seriously.
What abt muslims calling non muslims kaffir…n telling their religion as dark n degraded…
Why majority of muslims r so arrogant n hypocrite???????why dont they accept non muslims as humans????????
its not racist all PAKIES think everything is racist and the have more rights than us. but one day everyone is going to regret sticken up for them because they will take over our country!!! VOTE BNP PLEASE IT WILL CHANGE BRITTAIN AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE !