Full Breakdown
Archbishop of Canterbury withdraws interfaith award after cleric’s 2007 bin Laden remarks resurface
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 11 2026, Dame Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, presented the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council. The ceremony coincided with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks.
Background & Context
The Hubert Walter Award recognises individuals who have advanced inter-faith harmony.
Timeline
- September 11 2026 – Award presented at Lambeth Palace.
- September 16 2026 – Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy posts criticism on social media.
- September 17 2026 – Lambeth Palace issues withdrawal statement.
Official Statements & Responses
Ashrafi’s spokesperson asserted that the 2007 comments were “taken out of context” and were intended only to illustrate Muslim anger over the Rushdie knighthood, not to endorse bin Laden.
Criticism & Opposition
The National Secular Society called the original honor “obscene, and almost beyond parody,” emphasizing the timing on the 9/11 anniversary.
Christian activist Faraz Pervaiz and Anglican theologian Rev Dr Ian Paul both questioned the vetting process, urging greater transparency and consistency when recognizing inter-faith work.
Data & Statistics
- The September 11 2001 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, including 67 British citizens.
- The 2026 Lambeth Awards ceremony listed 27 recipients across five categories, with Ashrafi among them.
Why It Matters
The episode highlights tensions between inter-faith outreach and the vetting of awardees whose public statements conflict with the values the Church of England seeks to promote. Critics argue that insufficient due-diligence undermines confidence in the Church’s ability to navigate complex religious landscapes, while supporters point to Ashrafi’s documented interventions on behalf of Christian minorities as evidence of genuine reconciliation work.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources agree that Ashrafi made the 2007 remarks, but they differ on the extent of his formal endorsement of bin Laden. Some reports quote him as saying the council would “give” the title Saifullah, while others note he framed the statement as an illustrative comparison. No court or official body has ruled on whether the title was ever formally conferred.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Previous comments made by Imam Ashrafi have come to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn.” — Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, last Friday
- “We have contacted Imam Ashrafi to make him aware of this decision.” — Lambeth Palace, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, last Friday
- “His spokesman said: "His comparison was not an endorsement of Bin Laden.” — Mr Ashrafi, author
- “Lambeth Palace is not short of staff, lawyers, communications advisers, or access to open-source information. A ten-minute search of Reuters and AFP archives would have surfaced Ashrafi’s 2007 statements in full,” — George Conger, of Anglican Ink
- “Nevertheless, Bishop Azad’s own letter confirms his personal role in recommending Ashrafi,” — Gerald Vincent, a London-based member of the Church of Pakistan
- “I’m relieved that Tahir Ashrafi’s ‘interfaith harmony’ award has been withdrawn by Lambeth Palace. This was an insult to the victims of the Blasphemy Business Gang and the family of Abdullah Shah. The Archbishop of Canterbury was tricked into awarding a non-deserving recipient,” — Pakistani Muslim