Soldier butchered in street in Woolwich

[Beanz]

You know the word is offensive.

OK, chalk this up to my being white and please forgive the naivety in which I state this childlike question, but......


Why?


Why is it an offensive word? What about Paki rather than Pakistani makes it offensive? Is Stani offensive? I mean there are a few countries that end in -stan, and I guess someone could lump them all together with Stani, unless that's already been done and have the same effect, but seriously what about the word makes it offensive? Is it the manner in which it's used, the tone, what it implies...please explain it the way someone would explain it to a Martian who has just set foot on Earth and yes I am absolutely serious, I would like to understand it better.

Because in Britain, thankfully more in the recent past than now the word Paki often prefaced the word Bastard and then imminent violence. It was used as away to make somebody less than human. It justified in the eyes of those that used it putting a brick through the brown families window, jumping the non white guy for having the cheek to walk down the street. It is a horrible word because of what it came to symbolise not because those subjected to it saw themselves as victims but because they often were victims. Victims of harassment,bullying, assault,arson and sometimes even murder.