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Lambeth Palace withdrew the Hubert Walter Award from Muslim cleric Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi after discovering he had previously praised Osama bin Laden. The award was given on September 2nd during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, but it was revoked Thursday when his past comments came to light. While Ashrafi claimed these statements were taken out of context and made in response to the British government’s knighting of Salman Rushdie, Lambeth Palace decided to reconsider their award due to concerns about previous remarks praising bin Laden as "Sword of God."
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The articles you've shared highlight a significant controversy involving the Archbishop of Canterbury's office and a Muslim cleric named Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. Here are key points to summarize:
- Context: The incident occurred during the 25th anniversary ceremony of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
- Initial Award: On this date, the Archbishop's office bestowed upon Ashrafi an award called the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation at Lambeth Palace.
- Past Controversial Statements:
- In June 2007, Ashrafi praised Osama Bin Laden, calling him a "Muslim warrior" who was fighting against the Russians, Americans, and British.
- He stated they were awarding Bin Laden their highest title for a Muslim warrior as a reaction to Salman Rushdie being knighted by Britain.
- Withdrawal of Award: The Archbishop's office withdrew this award after these statements came to light.
- Public Reaction: This decision sparked significant backlash and criticism, especially due to the timing (9/11 anniversary).
- Official Statement: Lambeth Palace acknowledged that they were reconsidering the award following the revelation of Ashrafi's past comments. They stated it is crucial for interfaith dialogue but must be done while respecting deeply-held differences.
- Other Concerns: Some articles mention other controversial statements made by Ashrafi, such as supporting Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and referring to those killed in NATO operations as "freedom fighters."
- International Response: This incident received coverage from major news outlets around the world, reflecting its significance beyond just religious circles.
In essence, this controversy highlights challenges in interfaith dialogue when past statements or actions of a religious leader come into conflict with widely accepted norms and values regarding terrorism and human rights.
Written for “Archbishop Withdraws Controversial Award” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 17787 · logged 2026-09-18
The Archbishop of Canterbury's office has withdrawn an interfaith award given to a Muslim cleric after past comments surfaced in which he praised Osama bin Laden.
asserted
he → withdraw → Laden
Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation at Lambeth Palace last Friday, during a ceremony that coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
asserted
that → receive → attacks
Lambeth Palace announced the reversal Thursday after previous comments by Ashrafi had "come to light," causing it to reconsider the award.
asserted
it → announce → award
"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," Lambeth Palace said in a statement.
asserted
Palace → engage → statement
"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," the statement continued.
asserted
statement → make → award
"We have contacted Imam Ashrafi to make him aware of this decision."
asserted
him → contact → decision
Lambeth Palace added that it continues "to pray for the Christian community in Pakistan, and for all those working for interfaith dialogue and harmony in Pakistan and around the world."
asserted
it → add → world
According to Lambeth Palace, the award was given to Ashrafi because of his "longstanding support for religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly the Christian community."
uncertain
award → accord → Pakistan
According to the BBC, Ashrafi said in 2007 that bin Laden — the architect of the 9/11 attacks — had "been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans and British."
uncertain
Laden → accord → Russians
The BBC also reported that Ashrafi said he would give bin Laden the title "Saifullah," meaning "Sword of God."
asserted
he → report → God
Ashrafi told the BBC that his remarks had been "totally taken out of context" and described the backlash against him as an "unfair campaign."
asserted
remarks → tell → campaign
He said he made the remarks about bin Laden in 2007 in response to "the hurt felt by many Muslims" over the British government's decision to knight "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie.
asserted
he → say → Rushdie
During the award presentation last week, the Archbishop's office said Ashrafi was being honored for "his outstanding work as an ambassador of interfaith harmony in Pakistan, known for his commitment to promoting religious tolerance."
asserted
Ashrafi → say → tolerance
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