With the recent TV furore over racism in mind, is to be called "Paki"offensive to the Pakistani?

Question

I ask this in all seriousness and I mean no offence. It's quite acceptable to Australians to be referred to as "Aussies" Americans as "Yanks" British as "Brits" etc.
Answers from Pakistani Yahooers only, please, NO J GOODIES.

Answer 1

I am not pakistani but am very close with the community where I live and many pakistanis call each other pakis. It is not so much the word that is offensive but rather the way it is used. The implicature of inferiority. In the same way, the black community call each other niggas and this is acceptable, but it is the tensions that are carried with the word that is offensive esp if used by another culture. Hope that helps.

Answer 2

I am not a Pakistani Yahooer, and to ask for answers from one part of the community does not allow a considered response tou your question.

I am an indigenous, white Briton. I used to use the term 'Paki shop' to refer to my local convenience store, but the term was not meant to cause offence. I spoke to the owner of the shop recently about this subject, and he replied to the effect that I could call the shop anything I liked as long as I spent money in it. As a person who has a bit of Jewish blood, and looks that way , I feel the same - you can call my business Yidshop, but as long as you buy my white beef (pork) and my breakfast slices (bacon), I do not give a tinkers cuss. Daub a swastika on my door, however, and Mossad will be looking for you.

Paki, Yid, Paddy, Chink, Sambo, Wog or Chalkie can be perceived as offensive, but there is a great tradition of nicknames in this country (I'm called Foghorn because of my large, Jewish-looking, nose, and my loud voice - the voice being a direct result of untreated adenoids - an ailment that targets people of Jewish blood or mixed Jewish/Goy blood more than the average white european.) If I feel that I am being given an appellation that is meant in a nasty frame of mind, then I will react accordingly, with hostility, but If I am Foghorn because of my nose, or even Fagin - so what. There are no concentration camps in Britain.

The average white Briton will not be able to differentiate between a person of Pakistani ethnicity, or a Bengali, or a Jain, or the non-bhindi-wearing Hindu. Sikhs are identifiable by their headgear and their names. Hence the portmanteau word 'Paki'.

Britain is very much a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic country, and this is a very good thing. Acceptance of cultures that were, and I repeat, were, alien to the native Briton is now at an advanced stage. Political correctness will set this process back, as will any political policy that seeks to remove the cultural heritage of Asian or Afro-Caribbean Britons. Multiculturalism is the key to our society reemaining vibrant and innovative. All ethnicities and cultures represented in the UK still have much to learn from each other, but surely it is better for us to learn, and thus to respect, than to condemn and aim for some form of unified, imposed Britishness. I don't use the term 'Paki' any more, but when I did use it, it was a term of appreciation, not condemnation.

Answer 3

People choose what to be offended by and therefore it is very difficult to assess what will upset someone. This in my opinion is an excellent question and one which has caused me to rethink how I respond to other people. I very rarely get offended by peoples reactions to me, I think they use to call it being thick skinned, but I realise that not everyone is the same. At the same time, though, I do think some people need to lighten up as a lot of terms used are not intended to be offensive but are rather regarded a terms of affection or indeed endearment. Live and let live. Thanks for the question, a star is forthcoming.xx Sorry but I am white and have never been to Pakistan, hope this doesn't affect your opinion of my answer.

Answer 4

Under the rules of PC, a person can choose to be offended by what you say, which means of course, that if they so choose, you are being offensive. On this subject, there is a male world and a female world. Females don't understand banter, because they take everything personally. This is the cause of a lot of misunderstanding in the modern world. It is also the reason that we have so much PC nonsense, because women, who now have positions of authority are trying to impose their value system (which doesn't understand banter and is devoid of humour) onto men. That is why we have so much touchy feely PC, and a few metro-sexual males. Sad.

Answer 5

John you raise a good question. I suspect that it is because it was once used as an insult. It lumps people of a different skin colour and home culture and tars them with a single brush.
If one says "Brit," Aussie, or Yank, it doesn't have the connotation of an insult as we all have a common root culture and religious tradition.
--That Cheeky Lad

Answer 6

No, it just tells you what kind of idiot is asking the question. By using the word "scoffer" they believe it lends credence to their beliefs because their holy book made the STARTLING PREDICTION that "scoffers" would poke fun at Christians ridiculous beliefs. I'll tell you this much. If that's all it takes to be a prophet, I need to start up my ministry. Because I can make a lot more detailed "prophecies" than that.

Answer 7

I'm not a pakistani but ive known indians to be called a paki before ...in this case it's offensive.

Answer 8

Good question. I often use the term paki in this way but I am no way racist. I also call tall people lanky. But I have nothing against tall thin people. This whole political correctness nonsense has got totally out of hand.

Ian r (the jock) from scotland

Answer 9

id say there are lots of 'affectionate' nicknames for people from other countries - paki isnt one of them - there are others try spook,spik,eytie etc etc for folk from around the world not quite as nice as aussie is it ?

Answer 10

I'm mixed race, Scottish and Kashmiri, and find it very offensive to be called a Paki.