Prince Harry and ‘royal racism’: “Anyone else here … ah, our little Paki friend, Ahmed,” "“You look like a raghead.”
Prince Harry apologises over ‘Paki’ remark
LONDON: Britain’s Prince Harry apologised on Saturday after a newspaper website published video footage showing him calling an Asian army colleague a ‘Paki’, saying he had used the term without ‘malice’.
The top-selling News of the World tabloid said the recording was made in 2006.
In some of the footage, 24-year-old Harry – grandson of Queen Elizabeth and third in line to the British throne – is behind the camera and can he heard making a mock commentary.
“Anyone else here … ah, our little Paki friend, Ahmed,” Harry says as he zooms onto the face of an Asian officer cadet while waiting at an airport to fly to Cyprus.
The word ‘Paki’ is a derogatory slang for an immigrant or descendant of an immigrant from Pakistan.
Harry was also shown telling another officer cadet wearing a camouflage veil during a night manoeuvre in Cyprus, “You look like a raghead – an offensive term for an Arab.”
A spokesman for Britain’s royal family said there had been no racist intent in Harry’s words. “Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term (Paki) can be, and is extremely sorry.”
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)m lawmakers and Pakistani public in Britain have criticised Harry over the comments. agencies (Daily Times)
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