GLASGOW, September 28 (RIA Novosti) – One of Scotland's most well-known painters, Peter Howson, who was the British Government's "official war artist" during the 1993 Bosnian Civil War, is to hand back an honor he received from the Queen in protest at Britain's airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Iraq and England's opposition to Scottish independence.
"I don't feel in any way I now want to be part of the British Empire - I don't feel British and so I don't feel I can keep hold of the OBE [Order of the British Empire] anymore," Howson, who was awarded the OBE by The Queen in 2009 for "services to the visual arts", told The Herald Scotland newspaper.
"There are a few reasons for handing it back: it is a protest about the bombing [fight against IS] ... and also going back to the whole idea of the illegal wars in Afghanistan and especially Iraq," he added.
Howson also said another reason for his decision was the fact that anti-Scottish independence supporters began making Nazi salutes before attacking pro-independence supporters in Glasgow following a referendum. Police arrested 20 pro-UK protesters that day.
"I think another issue which finally persuaded me to give back the OBE was the scenes in George Square when people were giving Nazi salutes. I thought we can't be allowing this to happen," Howson said.
"I am totally convinced we are going to get independence soon - I think the longer things go on, England will become more and more right-wing and Britain is collapsing anyway… There is a new interest in politics and democracy, with people all over Britain who want the power in people's hands again," Howson added.
Two years ago a list of those who declined an honor between 1951 and 1999, and have since died, was published for the first time.
Among them was the painter Frances Bacon, authors Roald Dahl and Aldous Huxley, artist Lucien Freud, sculptor Henry Moore and John Lennon who opposed Britain's involvement in the Biafran War. However, Howson said to The Herald Scotland that he was proud to receive the OBE and had nothing against the royal family; his actions simply meant to express his attitude.
