Archbishop of Canterbury Withdraws Award from Muslim Cleric Following Past Comments

<p>The Archbishop of Canterbury's office has withdrawn an interfaith award given to Muslim cleric Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi after comments surfaced in which he praised Osama bin Laden.</p><p>Ashrafi received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation at Lambeth Palace on September 15, 2026, during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.</p><p>Lambeth Palace announced the decision to withdraw the award on September 18, 2026, after previous comments made by Ashrafi had "come to light," prompting a reconsideration of the award.</p><p>The statement from Lambeth Palace noted, "It is a longstanding principle of interfaith dialogue and co-operation that we must engage with one another across deeply-held differences, and that remains the case."</p><p>However, the statement continued, "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to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn. We have contacted Imam Ashrafi to make him aware of this decision."</p><p>Lambeth Palace also expressed its continued support for the Christian community in Pakistan and for those promoting interfaith dialogue and harmony globally.</p><p>The award was initially given to Ashrafi due to his "longstanding support for religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly the Christian community."</p><p>According to the BBC, Ashrafi stated in 2007 that bin Laden, who was responsible for the September 11 attacks, had "been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans and British."</p><p>Additionally, Ashrafi mentioned he would bestow upon bin Laden the title "Saifullah," meaning "Sword of God." Ashrafi later told the BBC that his remarks had been "totally taken out of context" and described the backlash as an "unfair campaign." He explained that his comments were made in response to the hurt felt by many Muslims regarding the British government's decision to knight Salman Rushdie, the author of "The Satanic Verses."</p><p>During the award presentation, the Archbishop's office highlighted Ashrafi's contributions as an ambassador of interfaith harmony in Pakistan and his commitment to promoting religious tolerance.</p>