Archbishop of Canterbury revokes award from Pakistani cleric who praised Osama bin Laden

The Archbishop of Canterbury revoked the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi after his 2007 comments praising Osama bin Laden resurfaced. Lambeth Palace stated the award was withdrawn following backlash, citing a principle of interfaith dialogue. Ashrafi claimed the comments were taken out of context.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, revoked the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Thursday, September 17, 2026. The award had been presented at Lambeth Palace the previous Friday, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, was initially honored for his interfaith work and support of religious minorities in Pakistan. However, resurfaced 2007 comments showed Ashrafi praising Osama bin Laden as someone who had "been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans, and British" and calling him "Saifullah" (sword of God). Lambeth Palace faced backlash and announced the withdrawal, stating it was a longstanding principle of interfaith dialogue to engage across differences but that the comments led to reconsideration. Ashrafi told the BBC the comments were "totally taken out of context" and the outcry was "an unfair campaign" aimed at smearing him, claiming he made them in response to the hurt felt by Muslims after Salman Rushdie was knighted. Ashrafi has also faced criticism for his support of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which he claims save lives, while Human Rights Watch has called for reforms to prevent weaponization against minorities.