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Prince Harry's racist remark about a Pakistan Platoon Member


LONDON (January 12 2009): Britain's Prince Harry has apologised for using racist language after a Sunday newspaper reported he had filmed himself calling an army colleague a "****" and telling another he looked like a "raghead".

The video obtained by the News of the World plunges the 24-year-old prince, the third in line to the throne, into fresh controversy four years after he sparked outcry by wearing a Nazi swastika at a fancy dress party.

The newspaper posted the video on its website and said it was made in 2006 when the prince was still an officer cadet. It begins as he is waiting with his platoon in an airport departure lounge for a flight to a training exercise in Cyprus.

Touring the room with a video camera as his colleagues snooze, he spots an Asian cadet and says: "Anybody else around here?... Ah, our little **** friend, Ahmed." "****" is a racist term for Indians or Pakistanis.

The royal family issued an apology, but insisted the prince had used the term without malice. "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause," a spokesman said.

"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 report said Harry made the "raghead" remark - a racist term for Arabs - while on the exercise. Once again he is behind the camera when he spots one of his comrades with camouflage netting over his head and as he looks up at the lens, Harry says: "It's Dan the Man... **** me, you look like a raghead."

The royal spokesman said: "Prince Harry used the term 'raghead' to mean Taliban or Iraqi insurgent." The prince served with the army battling the Taliban in Afghanistan last year but was forced to return home after his security was compromised when a carefully arranged media blackout on his deployment was broken.

Harry, an army lieutenant, is to begin training soon as a combat helicopter pilot. Britain's equalities watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the racism claims "appear to be disturbing allegations".

"We will be asking the MoD (Ministry of Defence) to see the evidence, share that evidence with us and their plans for dealing with it," a spokeswoman said. "We will then consider what further action might be necessary."

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," the spokeswoman said, referring to "Ahmed". She added: "Bullying and racism are not endemic in the armed forces."

In another clip from the three-minute video, Harry pretends to make a mobile phone call to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

He says: "Granny, I've got to go. Send my love to the corgis. And grandpa... God Save You... yeah, that's great. See you, bye." Prominent Muslim politician Khalid Mahmood said: "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," said Mahmood, a deputy with the ruling Labour Party. It is not the first time that the youngest son of Prince Charles and the late princess Diana has been forced to apologise for his actions. Harry's decision to attend a friend's fancy dress birthday party wearing a swastika armband in 2005 sparked widespread criticism. The publication of photographs of that incident was followed by a swift apology from the royals.

In the past, it emerged he had smoked cannabis as a teenager and he was once involved in a scuffle outside a night-club with a paparazzi photographer, but in recent years Harry has sought to shake off his 'playboy prince' reputation. He is heavily involved in a charity in Lesotho to support children orphaned by AIDS which was launched in memory of his mother, and is patron of several other children's charities.
 
Didn't he also apologized for wearing a Swastika on halloween? Something's seriously wrong with this guy. He's trying TOO hard to prove something.
 
This little ‘****’ friend is real hero, Harry

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

By Mariana Baabar

ISLAMABAD: The people of Pakistan have reason to be proud of “our little ****” friend, Ahmed Raza Khan, who according to military officers here is actually a hero in the battlefield.

Unlike Prince Harry, who is well known for his late night bouts in nightclubs, his unforgivable drunken behaviour and smoking marijuana amongst his other colourful activities, Raza Khan has recently been decorated with a medal for the valiant fight he put up in North Waziristan.

Currently away on training exercise, (away from the prying eyes of the British media) Raza Khan was the Company Commander in North Waziristan in 2007. He was attached to the FF Battalion.


How Prince Harry will contribute to the forces is up to the British Army to decide but one can only pity the level of cadets and officers in their Army. Certainly a far cry from the times they were part of the good ol’ British Empire.But ‘our little hero’, 22-year old Raza Khan, while in the battlefield just over a year ago, suddenly realised that his convoy had been ambushed.

“He put up a valiant fight defending his soldiers. In the process the young soldier got a bullet in his leg but this did not deter him from continuing to save the lives of his soldiers for whom he was responsible,” says the military. When he recovered, Raza Khan was decorated with a Medal for Valiant Action, an honour for those whose performance is outstanding in an operational area.

In Pakistan, at least no one is buying the “hurriedly arranged”, apology from Prince Harry. No one can change the mentality of a segment of the British society, royal or otherwise. But The News received calls from a few Pakistani families vowing to name their future baby boys “Raza” in honor of “our little **** friend”.

This little ‘****’ friend is real hero, Harry

By the way, its Captain Ahmed Raza Khan.
 
Yep thats him Black Stone.

When people in the UK praise him for going to Afghanistan for 10 weeks they tend to forget he was being protected by at least 10 SAS troopers who could have been doing more useful duties elsewhere.
 
Yep thats him Black Stone.

When people in the UK praise him for going to Afghanistan for 10 weeks they tend to forget he was being protected by at least 10 SAS troopers who could have been doing more useful duties elsewhere.

What I can't stand are spoilt brats especially the royal ones. They think they own the world and can do anything they like and with no worries in the world...totally disgusts me.
 
What is wrong in calling a person as p a k i? Is it a abusive word? I think pakistan ppl feel proud of it. Where is racism here....if one calls like muslim or some word related it might become!

Some one pls give ur feedback

IF SOMEONE CALL YOU BH!NDIAN ????
 
Our racist, facist little prat friend deserves a nice thrashing IMO.
 
It's Britain's internal matter. **** is used to describe all brown skin people in UK. Both the perpetrator and victim are British citizens, there is no role for others to play.

UK is a former colonial master, its obvious some people feel they are superior at their own peril.
 
This little ‘****’ friend is real hero, Harry

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

By Mariana Baabar

ISLAMABAD: The people of Pakistan have reason to be proud of “our little ****” friend, Ahmed Raza Khan, who according to military officers here is actually a hero in the battlefield.

Unlike Prince Harry, who is well known for his late night bouts in nightclubs, his unforgivable drunken behaviour and smoking marijuana amongst his other colourful activities, Raza Khan has recently been decorated with a medal for the valiant fight he put up in North Waziristan.

Currently away on training exercise, (away from the prying eyes of the British media) Raza Khan was the Company Commander in North Waziristan in 2007. He was attached to the FF Battalion.


How Prince Harry will contribute to the forces is up to the British Army to decide but one can only pity the level of cadets and officers in their Army. Certainly a far cry from the times they were part of the good ol’ British Empire.But ‘our little hero’, 22-year old Raza Khan, while in the battlefield just over a year ago, suddenly realised that his convoy had been ambushed.

“He put up a valiant fight defending his soldiers. In the process the young soldier got a bullet in his leg but this did not deter him from continuing to save the lives of his soldiers for whom he was responsible,” says the military. When he recovered, Raza Khan was decorated with a Medal for Valiant Action, an honour for those whose performance is outstanding in an operational area.

In Pakistan, at least no one is buying the “hurriedly arranged”, apology from Prince Harry. No one can change the mentality of a segment of the British society, royal or otherwise. But The News received calls from a few Pakistani families vowing to name their future baby boys “Raza” in honor of “our little **** friend”.

This little ‘****’ friend is real hero, Harry

By the way, its Captain Ahmed Raza Khan.

When it says that the level of British officers should be regarded with pity is this an insult against the standard of British officers? (The English in the article isn't good at places). If so then I am going to take serious offence to that, well I would if it was written by somebody who had worked or even been with British units when in a combat zone and knew better, not just from some ignorant civilian.

While Harry's actions were disgraceful they were some time ago before he 'matured' more. That doesn't mean that they can be excused though.

Ahmed Raza Khan is a hero for his actions no doubt about that, but no more than other officers and men. They are part of the job and if an officer is not ready to fight on for his men or a man for his friends, even if wounded then he doesn't belong in the British army. The Regimental system encourages this, a man must be ready to fight to the end for his friends and his second family (the family feel often comes about within Regiments as a man will spend most of their career within his chosen Regiment).
 
IF SOMEONE CALL YOU BH!NDIAN ????

If someone inside India calls me something then I care. Similarly the victim here is a british citizen, so only britishers should care. How is it our (Pakistan or India's) problem.

The said person became Britain's citizen willingly.
 
No, we don't feel PROUD of being called that. The true term is "Pakistani".

The word "****" holds a deeper meaning in Britian. Specifically used as a racial slur by the Anti-Pakistani crowd.

Not really.

In Britain it used to be a racial slur for anyone not white or black.

Since then anglos have started to get a clue, and realize that not everyone in between white and black is a pakistani. The word is pretty much out of usage, except for some low class chavs mentally lagging a couple of decades.

The raghead thing I guess you can't get away with. That's definitely racial. The Packi one, for some would be offensive, and he should have been bright enough not to use it.
 
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^^I think that's Prince Phillip you mean.

Charles afaik, wasn't the same blunderer as Phillip.

He's pretty much managed to racially insult the whole world.

It was only a matter of time before this happened.
 
^^I think that's Prince Phillip you mean.

Charles afaik, wasn't the same blunderer as Phillip.

He's pretty much managed to racially insult the whole world.

It was only a matter of time before this happened.

Wait until the 2012 Olympics, see what BoJo gets up to.
 

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