In a little reported incident... President Bush has insulted the very people he calls "allies."
Over the years Great Britain has become home to many South Asian immigrants, with a fair number of them being from Pakistan. The U.K. racist right wing... in the form of various neo-Nazi and openly Fascist groups, have long referred to the Pakistani people as "Pakis." A racial slur whose equivalent in the United States would be the repugnant insult of "Nigger."
****
Tuesday January 8, 2002
White House: Bush Meant No Disrespect
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) - President Bush meant no disrespect when he called Pakistanis ``Pakis,'' a spokesman said Tuesday.
Bush told reporters Monday: ``We are working hard to convince both the Indians and the Pakis there's a way to deal with their problems without going to war.''
The term ``Pakis'' is considered by many Pakistanis, particularly in Great Britain, to be offensive.
``The president has great respect for Pakistan and for the Pakistani people,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday as Bush visited Ohio to sign an education bill. He did not apologize or withdraw the comment, but McClellan noted that Pakistan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.