The Archbishop of Canterbury has withdrawn an interfaith award from a Pakistani imam after his past remarks about Osama bin Laden resurfaced, turning a ceremony held on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks into a controversy for the Church of England.
Archbishop Sarah Mullally presented Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi with the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation at Lambeth Palace on Sept. 11. The palace said the award recognized his support for religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly Christians.
But in 2007, Ashrafi told Reuters that the Pakistan Ulema Council had given bin Laden the title Saifullah, meaning “sword of Allah,” in response to Britain’s decision to knight author Salman Rushdie. Ashrafi described bin Laden as “a mujahid who has been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans and British.”
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The remarks drew fresh scrutiny after the award ceremony. Critics condemned the decision to honor Ashrafi on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks that bin Laden orchestrated. Travis Frain, a survivor of the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack, called the award “a grave misjudgment by the Church.”
The Pakistan Ulema Council defended Ashrafi. It told The Times his comparison was a response to Rushdie’s knighthood and “was not an endorsement of Bin Laden.”
On Sept. 17, Lambeth Palace confirmed it had withdrawn the award and contacted Ashrafi about its decision.
Lambeth Palace statement:
Last week the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation was presented to Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi in a ceremony at Lambeth Palace. The award was given for Imam Ashrafi’s longstanding support for religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly the Christian community – support that is valued by many Christians in Pakistan including its Anglican Church.
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. However, 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to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn.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. We continue to pray for the Christian community in Pakistan, and for all those working for interfaith dialogue and harmony in Pakistan and around the world.
The reversal came six days after Mullally presented the honor. Lambeth Palace said it still valued Ashrafi’s work with Christians in Pakistan and remained committed to interfaith dialogue. Its original awards announcement continues to list him among the recipients, while its subsequent statement confirms the award has been withdrawn.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
