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.

the term paki is deemed offensive by many people in the uk as it is said to refer to pakistanis in a derogorative manner.

this term originates from the 50s and 60s when there was an influx of immigrants to britain (due to the strong uk economy and the fact that people were needed to do the shit jobs, but that's another story) and pakistani was abbreviated to paki.

the reason many find this to be offensive is because it has been percieved to be used only by rascists. untrue. the word pakistan means pure land (the suffix stan means land) and therefore the term paki means pure.

my dear friend seemab who is of pakistani origin but now lives in the uk herself refers to her compatriots as pakis.

i refer to her as paki. not because i'm rascist or hate pakistanis, but simply because it is a valid abbreviation.

do you americans not refer to us in the uk as brits?

if a fascist called seemab a paki bitch or a pakistani bitch, she would be equally offened.

yours, a brit.