Full Breakdown
Archbishop of Canterbury Withdraws Interfaith Award After Past Praise for Osama bin Laden Resurfaces
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On September 11 2026, Dame Sarah Mullally, the first female 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. Within days, Lambeth Palace announced that the award had been withdrawn after 2007 remarks by Ashrafi praising Osama bin Laden resurfaced.
Background & Context
He has also been a vocal defender of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which human-rights groups say discriminate against minorities. In 2012 he intervened in the case of Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl falsely accused of blasphemy, a fact cited by Lamb-the Palace in the original award citation.
Timeline
- September 11 2026 – Award presented at Lambeth Palace.
- Later that week – Lambeth Palace issued a statement withdrawing the award after the 2007 comments resurfaced.
Official Statements & Responses
Lambeth Palace emphasized its principle of engaging across “deeply-held differences” but said the newly-found comments forced a reassessment. The palace confirmed it had informed Ashrafi of the decision.
Ashrafi, speaking to the BBC, claimed his remarks were “totally taken out of context” and framed the backlash as an “unfair campaign” linked to Muslim anger over the British knighthood of Salman Rushdie. He asserted the comments were made to illustrate the hurt felt by many Muslims, not to endorse bin Laden.
Human-rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly criticized the Pakistani blasphemy laws that Ashrafi supports, describing them as tools that “perpetuate religious discrimination” and target minorities.
Criticism & Opposition
The National Secular Society (NSS) called the original award “obscene, and almost beyond parody,” noting the insensitivity of honoring a cleric on the anniversary of an attack that killed nearly 3,000 people, including 67 British citizens.
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to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn.”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
- “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
- “Nevertheless, Bishop Azad’s own letter confirms his personal role in recommending Ashrafi,” — Gerald Vincent, a London-based member of the Church of Pakistan
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No source provides a definitive, up-to-date figure, leaving the scale of legal impact unclear.
Why It Matters
The withdrawal underscores the challenges faced by interfaith initiatives when honorees hold controversial views on terrorism and religious law. It also raises questions about the vetting processes of high-profile religious awards, especially when such recognitions intersect with sensitive historical anniversaries.
What’s Next
No further actions or reviews have been publicly scheduled.