I am not racist in any way ........?

Question

If you can shorten Brisish to "Brit", Scotish to "Scot", Turkish to "Turk", why is it wrong to Shorten Pakistani to "Packi",
this is a genuine question and in no way is it meant to offend.

Someone I know got 120 hours comunity service for saying the word in a non offencive capacity! is it political correctness gone mad?

I'm English if someone called me for example a "Silly Scott" i would laugh i would not take offence! it would be the wron nationallity and would be used in a derogatory manner! i would not give a monkeys!

why am i getting the thumbs down? its an honest question? get off your high horses!

Answer 1

Excellent question......... and a brilliant point, unfortunately i don't have a sensible answer, and i doubt anyone else will? its the same as why you cant shorten Niggerian to ******..... you have a brilliant point but there's not a brilliant answer to it..

...............................................................................................

look at that.... they've even censored Ni gger....? and i wasn't being nasty at all, just making a point

..............................................................................................

some of these answers are making me laugh..... words arnt DESIGNED to offend..... and they are not USUALLY used as a slur.... its just that everything is shortened now a days..... im not racist at all, im married to a Serbian, and its fine to call my partner Serb, but others get offended by it.... they are acting like everyone is trying to offend them they are acting like "victims" and we have to change to compensate for that.... some people hear are even offended by the QUESTION ...??? strange people out there....
i just think that if you get offended when no offence was intended... and you act like a victim, then you'll be a victim all your life.... hay relax, smile, be friends..

Answer 2

Because its not an issue about the abbreviation of a word. The issue is the COTEXT of the word - in society and history. In the UK 'Paki' has been used for the past 30odd years to degrade and insult South-Asians. In addittion, when 99% of non-Aisan people say it, they're not even referring to Pakistani's per se, they are just using as a term to emcompass all South-Asians. It is racist. However, like the word n!gger, the word can be used in a non-offensive way - many young Pakistani's have adopted the word as their own now and use it when talking about people from the Pakistani community. As i said however, its all to do with context - a non-Pakistani person using the word - espececially a White person (because of the specific history of White people using that word in a hostile way for 30years) means it takes on an offensive nature.

You are being too simplistic in the way you think about language.

Answer 3

I always understood that, for example Afghanistan meant 'Land of the Afghani's', Hindustan meant 'Land of the Hindu's', Uzbekistan 'Land of the Uzbek's' etc etc.

So, by this argument Pakistan would be 'Land of the Paki's).

However it seems that this way of looking at it has been made illegal or at least unacceptable.

But words change, when I was young it was quite OK to feel gay with no homosexual connotation. In a way the word has been hijacked,

Then there was the Enid Blyton book which started 'One day Noddy was walking down the road feeling a little queer.' I doubt if it would make the school library today.

So my sympathies are not with someone who uses the word 'Paki' offensively and to hurt but certainly with someone who argues 'This is the correct word and I am using it correctly.'

Answer 4

I think the main thing is that it has been used specifically as an insult and also, people from Pakistan are Pakistanis, I would be offended if you called me a Brit, the correct word is Briton, but that's different because that's just my personal view whereas Paki is used as a general insult. Also, it is used for all Indians, which is wrong because calling someone from a part of India other than Pakistan would be like calling a Canadian "American" or a Scotish person "English"

Answer 5

its a true point, but i know its ok to say 'pakis' but it depends how you use the word, if you abuse the word by saying it in a not nice manner then pakisanis will get offended. also another reason could be some of us 'brits' might not be able to tell the difference between pakistanis and indians and muslims, so when some people whether racist or not, could actually be 'calling' someone who is not actually the religion we are saying they are if you get what i mean, its a bit like some one could mistake scottish for irish and that would offend too... if yoU know what i mean

Answer 6

I've got no problem, as Australian, Aussie is no different, New Zealander is too long so they make do with Kiwi, same with South Africans...call them Boks ......saying Springboks just takes too long! I think you'll find any Pakistani worth his salt would find no offense whatsoever, long as it's not associated with a derogatory comment, nothing wrong.


Good call wafflebox....I'm first generation Aussie and can tell you now there are far worse racist comments than Packi ~ In Australia the shortening is a term of endearment!

Answer 7

The shortening of Pakistani is unacceptable in the UK, as this was also used as a derogatory term to describe people from Pakistan, India, etc. This has been handed down from previous generations, so blame them for ruining the language.

FYI:
The "N" word comes from the word Negro, NOT Nigerian. It's derivative is from the Spanish for black, and was used as a derogatory term by slave traders to describe the Africans they enslaved.

Some of you really need to learn how to spell.

Answer 8

If this is a genuine question and you are not intending to offend .You won't find the answer here or any site .Get to know some and ask them in a respectful way .people are more open than you think depends how things are asked

Answer 9

I do sort of agree to be honest.

As far as I know, in Australia when they're playing cricket against Pakistani, they quite openly advertise 'the Aussies versus the pakis' and nobody is offended by this.

I can only assume that Pakistanis don't like it I guess. Maybe we should be up in arms next time we get referred to as a Brit?

Answer 10

Logically, you are quite right so someone from america is an ameri, fom Wales a Wal etc.
Is that why people from Nigeria get upset? Its all down to the PC brigade and whether the term is used in a derogatory way.

Answer 11

Each culture and religion has a term that is perceived to be offensive, and it just so happens that the Pakistani community is offended by the shortened term, of which I will not repeat.

That is just the way it goes...