Organisers of the Scottish Muslim Awards have decided to boycott a Scots hotel that hosted the Israeli women's football team - and was the scene of police moves to try to eject a small number of pro-Palestinian protesters, the Herald can reveal.
The awards were due to be held at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel near Falkirk on September 28, but the organisers have said that it will now hold the event "in solidarity with the victims of the ongoing genocide in Gaza".
A 24-year-old man was charged over an on-the-field protest before Scotland’s Women's Euro 2025 qualifier against Israel at Glasgow's Hampden stadium on Thursday evening.
A protester was led away by police after appearing to chain himself to the goalposts on Thursday evening.
The match was played behind closed doors as several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the stadium to protest at Israel's military operation in Gaza.
READ MORE: MSPs 'lobbied' by Israeli official supporting targeting Gaza hospitals
When the two sides returned to the field, the Israeli team held up a T-shirt bearing the message "Bring Them Home" in reference to hostages taken by the Hamas group in the official team photo.
The game eventually kicked off 45 minutes later than planned, with Scotland running out 4-1 winners.
The following day two protesters went to the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel where the Israel Women's players had been staying to demonstrate against their presence using a loud hailer with police telling them that it was a "public safety" issue.
Organisers of the Scottish Muslim Awards, which aims to recognise and celebrate the success and personal achievements of Muslims from across all walks of Scottish life, has said it is now looking for a new venue after cancelling plans to stage the event at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel.
A spokesman said: “It is with great disappointment we have to find a new venue for the Scottish Muslim Awards 2024 - an event to recognise the achievements and talents of Scottish Muslims, to overcome the proliferation of Islamophobia, by identifying role models from across all sectors, for a new generation.
"However, we could not host it at a venue which chooses to legitimise the ongoing genocide on the people in Gaza. So, for that reason, we will be choosing a new venue.
“Choosing to host a national sports team of Israel, whilst its government continues the horrific and illegal slaughter of families in Gaza, is not acceptable and not in line with the values of the Scottish Muslim Awards. Therefore we will choose a venue which is in closer alignment with the spirit of the awards."
The first Scottish Muslim Awards were held in 2013 and have been held regularly but not annually since.
Renown human rights lawyer and political activist Aamer Anwar has been one of the recipients of the awards in the past - while ceremonies have seen the likes of Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar and Alba Party chairman Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh present prizes.
Bashir Maan, the Pakistani-Scottish politician and businessman who died in December, 2019 has been a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award being the first Muslim and Asian city councillor in the UK, serving as a Labour Party councillor in Glasgow.
“The awards are still going ahead and we are more determined than ever to recognise and celebrate the great, the good and the amazing, from the pool of talent across Muslim communities in Scotland," said the spokesman.
“We will confirm a new venue and date in due course. We call on everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim, Scottish and not Scottish, to do whatever they can to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza.”
During the protest on Friday, two members of the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign decided to make their feelings felt outside the hotel having assumed a right of public access.
But they were met by officers of Police Scotland who asked them to move on saying: "The hotel doesn't want you on their land."
A video of the encounter revealed an officer to raise concerns that there would be "some sort of disorder".
But one of the protesters said: "There is no sign of disorder."
He said he they did not want to leave and said there was a presumer right of public access."
The officer asked if they were refusing to leave adding: "The hotel have asked to move to the other side of the road, they don't want you on their property.
"I am asking you one more time to move to the other side of the road."
One of the protesters responded: "As far as I understand, it is private property with a presumed right of public access, the public can wander in and out at will and we have political rights to free speech here."
Then officer said that they were asking them to move quoting a "question of public safety".
But one of the protesters said: "There is no issue of public safety. It is a screwed up world when you come and protest against genocide and [are] impeded by Police Scotland."
A Police Scotland spokesman said the arrested man in the Hampden incident would be the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal.
The force said officers had engaged with a small number of people entering private grounds of the hotel and were asked to leave "which they did."
The spokesman said: “Officers attended planned protests at a business premises in Grangemouth on Thursday, 30 May, 2024 and Friday, 31 May, 2024.
"The group dispersed and there were no arrests.
“We continue to engage with those organising demonstrations to ensure rights to peaceful assembly and protest are protected while minimising disruption to communities and businesses.”
At Hampden thousands of protesters including represenatives of Show Israel the Red Card and Scottish Friends of Palestine held a protest outside the stadium calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Gaza.
They also hit out at the SFA’s decision to allow the game to go ahead, describing it as an attempt to “sportwash” Israel.
Demonstrators held small replica coffins and spread a banner which read “Ceasefire Now” on the ground outside Hampden.
The match was delayed for around 30 minutes due to the protests and one person chaining themselves to a goalpost just before kick-off.
His t-shirt read ‘Red card for Israel’.
The Maldives government has said it will ban Israelis from the Indian Ocean archipelago, known for luxury resorts, as public anger in the predominantly Muslim nation rises over the war in Gaza.
The president’s office has said that the Cabinet decided to change laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from entering the country and to establish a subcommittee to oversee the process.
It said President Mohamed Muizu will appoint a special envoy to assess the Palestinian needs and to launch a fundraising campaign.
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