Harun Nasrullah
The former General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation has returned his Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) title earlier this month in a stunning show of protest over the increasing criminalization of pro-Palestine protests.
The MBE, which was bestowed upon in 2009, is being revoked due to the UK government’s position on Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
Grant felt forced to speak up after being disturbed by the government’s inaction on the matter and attempts to repress protests.
The former police chief, who retired the same year he received his MBE, has expressed alarm about the growing criminalization of protest and dissent in Scotland and the UK.
In an email sent to the Cabinet Office to give up his MBE, Grant raised concerns about the “prosecuting of dissenting voice” in Scotland and the UK.
“A barometer of any democracy is to allow, indeed, encourage discussion, debate or lawful protest on matters of the day,” he wrote.
“That lawfare is utilised to silence, prohibit, criminalise ‘just expression’ as it is being used against Mick Napier of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign is anathema to me.”
Napier is currently facing charges under the Terrorism Act 2000 after telling a crowd he wanted to “thank” Hamas “for breaking out of the Gaza concentration camp on October 7”.
“They were slated to die in Gaza and they fought their way out,” he said.
Scottish PEN, a national part of the global freedom of expression organisation, criticised Napier’s arrest and raised concerns that it appeared “to follow a pattern of restrictions being placed on the ability to protest more generally”.
Grant said he could not stay silent – “for me, silence is complicit” – and so looked to his own form of protest.
“I’m going to give you a tiny wee story here,” the former police chief said.
“As a kid, a progressive teacher at my primary school in Coatbridge had us each knit a blanket square, which we put together and sent off to Nelson Mandela, who was at that time in jail.
“Now, I live in South Africa, I have since 2009. So I’m conscientised to apartheid and the effects are still existing almost 30 years after the end of apartheid here.
“So, me returning the medal is my current-day blanket square.”
The MBE, though personally significant, represents a symbol he now feels necessary to renounce.
Efforts to return the MBE were initially met with difficulty but eventually, Grant was told he could return the medal and cease using the title. However, his name will remain on the honour roll.
This process underscores the complexities of navigating the traditional systems of honour, particularly when they become entangled with contentious political issues.
The conflict in Gaza, marked by significant casualties and displacement, has stirred international outrage. South Africa has even accused Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron called for a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ later in the year.
However, this statement, coming months into the conflict, has done little to quell the growing discontent and protest, as evidenced by Grant’s actions. The Cabinet Office has refused to comment on specific honourees, emphasising the potential gap between official policy and individual morality in international combat.
READ MORE
Prime Minister faces accusations of Islamophobia in Yemen debate
Comment: Challenging the neo-colonial assault to bring justice
Red Sea simmers as US-UK strikes spark Houthi vows of retaliation, shattering fragile Yemeni truce
Two-thirds of BAME Britons back ceasefire and legitimacy of pro-Palestine protests
Palestinian Authority could seek full UN membership
Over 48,000 Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque complex last year
Israeli army abducted Palestinian children out of Gaza, reports Geneva body
Letter: Artists speaking out on censorship of pro-Palestinian peers’ welcome
