The Archbishop of Canterbury’s office has reportedly withdrawn an award which was given to Pakistani Muslim cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi after previous comments of him praising Late Osama bin Laden for ill doings resurfaced.
Ashrafi had received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation which was presented to him by Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally during a ceremony at Lambeth Palace that took place September 11, 2026. The said date reportedly marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The Lambeth Awards ceremony recognized about 27 recipients across several categories for contributions to the Church, wider society, reconciliation and as well an interfaith cooperation.
A report from the even further state that, Ashrafi was recognized for his longstanding involvement in promoting religious harmony and supporting religious minorities in Pakistan, which include the Christians. Pakistani media reports while describing the original award also highlighted his stated opposition to extremism, terrorism and sectarian violence, (As Reported).
However, attention quickly turned to remarks attributed to Ashrafi from as far back as 2007, when controversy surrounded the British government’s decision to grant author Salman Rushdie a knighthood.
At the time dated, Ashrafi, who was strongly associated with the Pakistan group known as Ulema Council, stated his opinion that or said Osama bin Laden should receive the title “Saifullah,” commonly translated as to English as “Sword of God,” in response to Rushdie receiving the British honour. Reports say the remarks his placed Osama bin Laden in highly favorable terms.
The resurfacing of those comments did not just prompt the cancellation of his award but also criticize the decision to honor Ashrafi, particularly because the ceremony took place on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Critics questioned why and how the comments were not identified before the award was presented to him.
Lambeth Palace went into accurate action and shortly assured the public of reviewing the matter. On September 17, the Archbishop’s office publicly confirmed that the award had been withdrawn.
In its statement, Lambeth Palace said the original honor which was presented recognized Ashrafi’s support for religious minorities, particularly for the Pakistan’s Christian community. However, it said that previous comments had subsequently come to light and caused officials to reconsider the award. The Palace therefore confirmed that Ashrafi had been contacted about the withdrawal.
Ashrafi’s representatives have disputed the way some of his earlier remarks have been presented, saying they were being reported without their proper context.
The controversy has therefore raised some questions about the vetting process surrounding major interfaith honors, while Lambeth Palace has also maintained its ground that dialogue between people of different faiths remains very much important.
The Church of England has now formally withdrawn the recognition, bringing an abrupt end to an award that was initially presented as recognition of work involving peace, religious minorities and cooperation between faith communities.
