Prince's apology for racist term

[N.O.R.F]

Prince's apology for racist term

 

See the vid

 

Prince Harry has apologised for using offensive language to describe a member of his army platoon.

 

The News of the World has published video in which the prince calls one of his Sandhurst colleagues a "Paki" in commentary he made over filming.

 

St James's Palace said he used the term three years ago as a nickname about a friend and without any malice.

 

The prince had to apologise in 2005 for wearing a swastika armband to a party, which offended many Jewish people.

 

The video shows Harry while still an officer cadet at Sandhurst military academy.

 

It was filmed in front of other cadets at an airport departure lounge as they waited for a flight to Cyprus to go on manoeuvres.

 

The newspaper said the prince had called the soldier "our little Paki friend".

 

'Extremely sorry'

 

In a separate incident, Prince Harry is heard calling another officer cadet a "raghead".

 

During a faked call to the Queen, as the Commander in Chief of the British Army, the prince says, "Granny I've got to go, send my love to the Corgis and Grandpa."

 

He finishes saying: "I've got to go, got to go, bye. God Save You ... yeah, that's great."

 

A statement from St James's Palace, with regards the term "Paki" said: "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause.

 

"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.

 

"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."

 

The statement continued: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taleban or Iraqi insurgent."

 

A man told BBC Radio Five Live the cadet concerned was his nephew, Ahmed Raza Khan, from Pakistan, who served with Prince Harry at Sandhurst for one year as a Commonwealth cadet.

 

Iftikhar Raja said his nephew, now a captain in the Pakistani army, would have risen above such terms and had not mentioned the incident to his family.

 

Mr Raja said: "At no time he 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.

 

"But I myself am a British subject, 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."

 

He added: "We expect better from our Royal Family on whom we spend millions and millions of pounds for training and schooling."

 

Captain Ahmed Raza Khan graduated with Harry from Sandhurst in 2006 receiving a special award from the Queen for being the best overseas officer cadet.

 

'Disturbing allegations'

 

BBC Royal Correspondent Peter Hunt said this was an "embarrassing episode" for the prince, and it was because comments made in private had become public that a statement had been issued.

 

He added St James's Palace had been at pains to place the prince's words in context.

 

Prince Harry's aides insisted Captain Ahmed and Harry "were friends, members of a close knit platoon who used nicknames and the prince was not being malicious", he said.

 

"However, whatever the context, royal officials must know the damage has been done, " said our correspondent.

 

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said: "Neither the Army nor the Armed Forces tolerates inappropriate behaviour in any shape or form.

 

"The Army takes all allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and all substantive allegations are investigated.

 

"We are not aware of any complaint having been made by the individual. Bullying and racism are not endemic in the Armed Forces."

 

A spokeswoman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: "These appear to be disturbing allegations and we will be asking the MoD to see the evidence, share that evidence with us and their plans for dealing with it.

 

"We will then consider what further action might be necessary."

 

But Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine and a biographer of Prince Harry and Prince William, said there was a danger of over-reaction.

 

She said: "I think it was a private video, he was talking about a friend of his, they were having fun and they were calling each other nicknames and I think it's been taken out of context.

 

"Yes, it would be very offensive if Harry went around calling people Pakis in a racist way but this was not meant, you know, it was meant more of a nickname.

 

"I mean, Harry's mates call him Ginge or Ginger - that could be equally offensive to people with red hair."

 

[Che -Guevara]

Poor kid-it stinks to have your life under the microscope.Let kid be himself.

[Fabregas]

^^ he videod it himself, thinking there would no problem. There always has to be a ciyalasuq-badboy in the royal families. Harry is the one, I think, and there will more be to come from him. They need to give the lad some pr lessons, I mean you don't dress as a Nazi or call people on Pakis. Where is that BNP list, eh?

 

Norf, liverpool is handing the title to Man Utd.

[N.O.R.F]

^Thats not the case yet saxib. Still too early but Benitez was only waiting for Fergie to make a comment and BANG he pulls out a list of Fergies comments on refs going back years lol

[N.O.R.F]

DAVID CAMERON, CONSERVATIVE LEADER

"It's obviously a completely unacceptable thing to say and it's right that he has apologised.

 

"I think it's important that in the great institutions... we root out attitudes like that. That has to go right across the institutions."

 

Asked whether the Army should take further action against Prince Harry, Mr Cameron said: "He's made an apology and I think it's apparent he's clear about that, and that's enough."

 

 

AKI NAWAZ, MUSICIAN AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST

"This word has caused massive offence to our community and people, not just recently, but for years and years.

 

"To somehow paint Prince Harry as being naive or innocent is just absolutely a horrendous analysis. He's been brought up in a privileged background, had the best education, travelled the world.

 

"It's absolutely disgusting and I think he should be dismissed from the MoD. We don't accept these things, we've had to live with this for 40 years.

 

"This is not taking a politically position, this is having some kind of moral decency towards people from different communities. I mean all I can recall is through my youth being at concerts and skinheads at the back sieg heiling, calling me the 'P' word.

 

"The Ministry of Defence says it aims to tackle racism, well here's your best opportunity to show us what you actually want to do about racism."

 

 

RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYAL WATCHER

"I would say to those who would see the language that he used and are naturally much offended, look at the context in which it was made and remember that it was three years ago.

 

"There's no question that he's undergone a journey so far as his own character was concerned. He was a real wild child, then overnight he became a hero - as the press would have it - for being in Afghanistan for 10 weeks.

 

"A line has got to be drawn under this and we've got to move on. Of course it will embarrass a lot of people and there is no question that he deeply regrets it.

 

"On the other hand there's the swastika incident, people remember that, that's the problem with these incidents, they stick in people's minds.

 

"Though I think the News of the World are blowing this up somewhat out of context, because if you look at the actual footage, that is the test of it. Was he intending to be offensive and insulting? I don't think so."

 

 

NICK CLEGG, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT LEADER

Mr Clegg told Sky News: "He shouldn't have used those words, it will have caused considerable offence and has obviously caused him a considerable amount of embarrassment.

 

"He has apologised, quite rightly, and I think we should now move on."

 

Asked if he would fire a member of his senior team for using such comments he said: "I would almost certainly have to yes.

 

"But it is not a question of whether Prince Harry can be fired, he has apologised, he has apologised profusely. I think we now have got to draw line under it, but it has obviously caused considerable offence."

 

 

INGRID SEWARD, MAJESTY MAGAZINE

"I think it was a private video, he was talking about a friend of his, they were having fun and they were calling each other nicknames and I think it's been taken out of context.

 

"Yes, it would be very offensive if Harry went around calling people Pakis in a racist way, but this was not meant, you know, it was meant more of a nickname.

 

"I mean, Harry's mates call him Ginge or Ginger - that could be equally offensive to people with red hair."

 

 

MOHAMMED SHAFIQUE, RAMADHAN FOUNDATION

"Anybody who uses derogatory terms such as the 'P' word and other words are obviously from a different age.

 

"He is trying to portray this image of being caring like his mother, who was a great woman, or his father who's a person who's widely respected across the world. He's a thug."

 

 

PATRICK MERCER, FORMER TORY SPOKESMAN

Mr Mercer was forced to resign as a Conservative spokesman for suggesting that being called a "black *******" was part and parcel of Army life for ethnic minority soldiers. He says this incident is very unfortunate.

 

"Whatever went on inside the platoon three years ago - perhaps it was friendly banter, I have no doubt at all that the Prince was on very good terms with the officer from the Pakistan army who was in the same platoon with him.

 

"[but] the fact remains that he is a prince of the blood royal and he must know that everything he did and does is under intense scrutiny at all times.

 

"All I can say is that in the intervening two or three years... he's done the country, the army and the Royal Family an immense amount of good and I very much regret any damage that these careless, thoughtless, pointless, silly comments will have caused him."

 

 

KHALID MAHMOOD, LABOUR MP, BIRMINGHAM

"This might have been said in a light-hearted manner but ultimately it's offensive to a lot of people.

 

"He needs to understand that this is not acceptable, especially in light of the office that he is going to hold in the Army and as a member of the Royal Family."

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7822723.stm

[Ibtisam]

LOL, the little kid is an *****, always putting his foot in. I think there also the case when he used army plan to fly his friends about.

[chubacka]

takes after his grandad. hpe he apologised to the poor guy personally.

 

(come on liverpool, make everyone proud)

[Che -Guevara]

Abu-Who doesn't call Pakistanis Paki. How is it even an insult. Even in Pakistan we used to call Pakistanis Pakis, and yes not their behind backs.

 

Anyway, the poor kid gets the wrong end of the stick. Gets in trouble for what regular get away with everyday. It stinks to be royal.

[Fabregas]

^^white usage of the term paki in the UK is associated with the race riots of the 70s( before Somalis came)and police brutality. Paki has a bad history, is not the same as in Pakistan. If a white person were to say that in some places in the UK, they would get their teeth knocked out.

[NinBrown]

The kid is just doing what evry1 else in the army does. He wants to be normal...but someone should whisper otherwise in his ears.

[Faarax-Brawn]

Kid? He aint no kid. He is a full grown man,with traits of a neo nazi.

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

This is what happens in a politically correct society! Whats the difference between saying it aloud and believing in these ideas!

 

A few years back, They wanted to ban christmas lights because it was deemed unfair to be people of other faiths! then they said the nativity play was wrong in schools dominated by ethnic children!

 

Nowadays, Health and safety dominates this! Everything is deemed as unsafe! people dont wanna be treated as children! this also increases red-tape and just ruins everything! whats happened to independence and civil liability and diverse! this great country has become a nanny state!

[NGONGE]

^^ What a tiresome robot you have become, saaxib. Not one original idea in months.

 

ps

Ibti, it was not Harry that used the plane. It was William.

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

^^^ so you savagely mock me to death! Ideas are sacred! there are a few more in the pipelines! brace yourself!

[Fabregas]

Originally posted by -MARX-:

This is what happens in a politically correct society! Whats the difference between saying it aloud and believing in these ideas!

 

A few years back, They wanted to ban christmas lights because it was deemed unfair to be people of other faiths! then they said the nativity play was wrong in schools dominated by ethnic children!

 

Nowadays, Health and safety dominates this! Everything is deemed as unsafe! people dont wanna be treated as children! this also increases red-tape and just ruins everything! whats happened to independence and civil liability and diverse! this great country has become a nanny state!

My little nigger, I don't think you can compare Prince Harry's outburst to the christmas example. I do agree though; political correctness, is getting out of control, my little nigger.