When Harry said Paki; or, Has Europe had enough?

There was the amazing discussion at the British National Party website that was pro-Israel and anti-Muslim. There was the remarkable Christian Science Monitor article about how opinion in Europe—for as far back as anyone can remember an anti-Israel zone—had shifted in favor of the Israelis. There was the unbelievable UN resolution on the Gaza fighting (no link) that did not criticize Israel but put all the blame on Hamas. And now, coming from the official precincts of the Dead Island itself, there’s a bit of push-back against the absurd attack on Prince Harry for some casual, harmless words he used among his army mates.

Most ridiculous and obnoxious of all was Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Abbasi, the self-important father of Harry’s Paki army comrade, who, even after an initial apology by the Prince, demanded that the Prince keep abasing himself. He said that he was “very, very hurt” by the “disgraceful insult…. That word he used is a hate word and should never be used against any Pakistani,” adding that Harry must make a formal apology to Pakistan. But here’s the best part of the affair—the departure-from-the-liberal-script part. Harry’s office, while acknowledging that the Prince is “extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause,” insists that “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.”

In other words, Harry said “Paki” and there was nothing wrong with that. Shall we all stand up and say, “I’m Prince Harry”?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at January 12, 2009 06:31 PM | Send