Story perspectives

Archbishop Withdraws Hubert Walter Award Over Ashrafi Comments

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 3:11 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally withdrew the Hubert Walter Award from cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi.
The award had been presented at Lambeth Palace on Sept. 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Ashrafi serves as chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, an Islamic umbrella group.
In 2007 he praised Osama bin Laden, calling him a “Saifullah” and a fighter for Islam.
Lambeth Palace said resurfaced comments forced it to reconsider and withdraw the honour.

History

Historical Context

In December 1999, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1267, sanctioning 66 individuals linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The resolution, championed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and backed by the United States, froze assets of Osama bin Laden’s network, costing $2 billion in frozen assets. Similarly, Lambeth Palace withdrew the Hubert Walter Award from Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi after resurfaced 2007 praise of bin Laden, echoing the Council’s zero-tolerance stance. The precedent underscores that religious institutions now scrutinize honorees, prompting tighter vetting and potential future revocations across global faith bodies.

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Story summary

Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally withdrew the Hubert Walter Award from cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi.
The award had been presented at Lambeth Palace on Sept. 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Ashrafi serves as chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, an Islamic umbrella group.
In 2007 he praised Osama bin Laden, calling him a “Saifullah” and a fighter for Islam.
Lambeth Palace said resurfaced comments forced it to reconsider and withdraw the honour.

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