'Our little Paki friend' - Princely Insults

Only recently, my attitude towards the word ‘paki’ was one of acceptance. For me it was a word that had become diluted over time and not carrying the same significance it used to. That has changed. I was tremendously hurt recently to discover that Harry the soldier prince called an Asian soldier “our little Paki friend”. It is ignorant, foolish and it sums up the extent to which racism is deeply impregnated in the UK. Feelings of bitterness, anger and pride for all that is Asian, Indian, ethnic, eastern and British about me bubble to the surface of my mind. It serves as a slap in mouth for me, I was naïve in assuming that the racist slur was diminishing in society today as the UK becomes an increasingly tolerant nation. As I walk through the streets of London on a daily basis, I am astounded by the variety and ethnicity of the people around me. Multiple foreign languages can be heard ranging from an obscure Russian dialect to the strongest patois you can imagine. It makes me proud.

I have been called a ‘raghead’ - an offensive name for an Arab or turban wearer of the Islamic world. As a third generation Sikh turban wearer, this insult repulses me. In the US, many Sikhs have been murdered – wrongly mistaken for an Arab with images of Osama Bin Laden influencing the rising trend of hate crimes towards people with turbans post 9/11. In the UK, confusion between an Arab and a Sikh is profoundly high amongst the White demographic.

“F*** me, you look like a raghead” - Prince Harry tells a fellow soldier wearing a camouflage veil.

While I am all for giving the Prince the benefit of the doubt – A 21 year old officer cadet at the time, I am saddened to think that racism and more importantly the term 'paki' has made its way to the Royal family. It must be a terrible blow for Islamic groups and Muslims still feeling the after effects of 9/11 and the 7/7 attacks. On a wider scale, it is a blow for all ethnicity groups - racism is alive and well and even the Royals are calling us names! All people of Asian ethnicity become tarnished with the same brush in the UK – we are not all terrorists in the same way that not all white people are racist. Nor can it be assumed that all westerners hate the Islamic world. Wouldn't it be fantastic to see what Prince Philip makes of it all? He himself has been accused of upsetting the 'slitty eye' Chinese people, the 'overbred' Romanians due to their many orphanages, Eastern females who 'sit around smoking pipes' and Austalian Aborigines who 'still throw spears at each other'. Perceptions, Assumptions, Ignorance.

Only 14 months before his ‘paki’ slur, the Prince was criticised for wearing a swastika on a German uniform to a fancy dress party. Prince Harry’s apology for his latest slip-up has been seen to be enough in the eyes of other servicemen. Ex Royal Marines officer and former Foreign Office minister, Rod Richards is one of many who believe Harry’s words are not racist. The poor lad at the centre of the case, Ahmed Raza Khan, a Pakistani who won the award for the best overseas cadet at Sandhurst Military College is a brave lad choosing to fight in the British service. He must be commended for undertaking a role many Asians would not ever contemplate today.

The whole scenario begs the question of whether racism is institutionalised within the Army just as racism remains current in UK society today. I am deeply saddened by the remarks made by Harry, A Royal who will be subject to scrutiny his whole life. As a highly regarded public figure, he should know better. Should Harry have been reprimanded in the same way that I would have been had I racially mocked my fellow white man? A racial attack made by a Royal in the 21st century, who would have thought it?

'I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism, that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality'

Martin Luther King

‘For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness’

On the 20th January 2009, the world watched as a black man took the reign of the world’s foremost superpower. America sees the first ever black president sworn into office. A great day for race equality. A historic moment in America's journey towards equality and justice for all its citizens.

A man who’s father ‘was black as pitch’ and ‘mother white as milk’, Barack Obama has achieved the unachievable. Martin Luther King predicted that a black person would one day take office and despite this happening later than Dr King envisaged it has happened nevertheless. In his inauguration speech, Obama barely mentioned race. The fact that he was standing before the world was enough to signify just what had happened.

Scrutiny regarding the presidency remains - that the presidential election has been glamourised by the race card. On the 20th January 2009, we all watched a black man take office. We were proud to see Obama take his oath. Believing that people should be judged by the content of their character and not their skin colour, I am somewhat unconvinced of the extent to which Dr King’s declaration was satisfied on this occasion. At that point, euphoria surrounded the black man, not the black man's policies to change America. On a deeper note however, Obama as president is monumental beyond belief. He is the American dream personified. He gives hope not just to black people but to all people, all ethnic minorities and all who hope for a better future.

Going forwards, time will tell how Obama’s presidency takes effect as the real ‘content of character’ test starts now… A man ‘whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath’ – a powerful message that inspires hope and faith. A reminder that ‘all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness’ as Obama remarked in his Race Speech.

'Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them' Martin Luther King. America has moved forward.

For me, I am sceptical that what happened in America can happen in the UK, my home. But that I will explore another time… For now let us enjoy the happenings in America as we one day may enjoy here….

Go back to where you come from

‘Go back to where you’ve come from gollywog’. Mom said that they used gollywog a lot in the 1970’s. If I was called a wog today I would probably respond with a fit of laughs, it’s just not controversial enough.

The last time I was called a paki I was probably about 14 years old. The local bully who happened to be a girl (yes a girl) was feared within my community. She had a history of violence and was the vulgar, ugly and most disillusioned person I had ever seen.
‘Next time you say something to Darren I'll rip your pom pom off’, she shouted with her halitosis and decaying teeth flashing themselves at me. ‘Paki’.

Now when you think about it, the term ‘paki’ is only offensive because of the emotion attached to it. It actually only refers to a person from Pakistan – a foreigner on British shores. But in the eyes of prejudice it becomes a malicious insult, filled with rage, a fear of the unknown and xenophobia at its core. My use of this word for the title of my blog merely reflects my acceptance of this word. In fact I haven’t heard it said for a long time and for me its not a racial term anymore. Not in the way it used to be anyway.

Those that use the word ‘paki’ are to me miscreants, ignorants who think that colour means more than the content of character as Martin Luther King so eloquently put it.

‘Go back to where you come from, you come here and take our jobs!!’.
‘I just want a bag of chips’ I exclaim peering over the steel counter staring at the vinegar.
‘They all come here in droves, this ay your country. You should all go back to where you come from. Bloody pakis’. The old lady sporting a tea cosy on her bob nods in agreement. The factory worker with his scruffy blue overalls compressing his gut looks on catatonically…

‘The jobs we do require some skill, skill that you could easily acquire with some effort and education. The taxes we pay allow you to receive your medication and treatment free of charge. The doctor that treats you was educated in India and travelled to the UK because of the demand for doctors. The shop that you buy your milk and bread from was set up by a minimum wage earning migrant who was destined to spend his life in a foreign land, working for foreign people, with no knowledge of the language of the land, no idea about western customs and values and with 3 mouths to feed. With some insight and hard work, he was able to do something better and provide groceries for his community and still you mock him, vandalise his property and call him a paki. Why don’t you accept those around you and see the good in a new diverse, multi-cultural, cosmopolitan Britain’. That is what I should have said….

Top of the morning to you.... Sat Sri Akal, Namaste, Salaam etc etc

Keep your Coins, I want change.

I had been thinking about capturing my thoughts in some sort of weblog or online diary for quite a while. Its easy to promise yourself that you will do something and never actually do it. First of all, I had to decide about what I would write about or what my theme would be. [Pause]. I have a lot to talk about. As a young British Asian proud of his heritage and culture and pleased to possess a dual heritage, I contemplate the years ahead with religion becoming more secular in my opinion and consumerism causing all to further their greed. Even with the credit crunch and news of doom and gloom, shifting our mindsets through endless media rants about falling markets, falling property prices and increasing unemployment I remain positive. This is the bargain basement and now is the time to buy, buy buy (apparently!).

My new years resolution involves many unattainable goals such as to make a million pounds this year and to get fit – all of these things become less attainable as I decide I have the whole year to concentrate on these goals and so for now I’ll just finish this cake and go back to sleep…. I will use this page to muse and to vent my anger, frustration, optimism, confusion, dejection, positivity and overall despondency… it’s not all bad I promise….