Archbishop of Canterbury Rescinds Interfaith Honor for Pakistani Cleric Over Past Bin Laden Comments

The Archbishop of Canterbury has formally withdrawn a prestigious interfaith reconciliation award previously presented to a prominent Pakistani Muslim cleric, following intense scrutiny and public backlash regarding his past remarks expressing praise for Osama bin Laden.

The decision to revoke the honor granted to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi came after historical statements resurfaced in which the cleric glorified the architect behind the September 11 terrorist attacks. The controversy quickly overshadowed the Church of England’s initial recognition of his work in building bridges across religious divides.

Ashrafi had been presented with the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation during a formal ceremony hosted at Lambeth Palace in London. The honor was bestowed upon him by The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally on behalf of the Archbishop’s office.

Adding to the controversy, the presentation of the award took place last week against the solemn backdrop of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States, an atrocity that resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 individuals and reshaped global security policies.

When initially conferring the accolade, representatives for the Archbishop highlighted Ashrafi’s high-profile standing as an ambassador of interfaith harmony within Pakistan. Officials praised what they characterized as an enduring dedication to advancing religious tolerance and fostering dialogue between different faith traditions.

A central justification cited by Lambeth Palace for the award was Ashrafi’s high-profile public intervention in 2012, when he stepped forward to assist Rimsha Masih. Masih, a young Christian girl in Pakistan, had been falsely accused of blasphemy, a case that drew significant international attention and concern from global human rights monitors.

However, the celebratory atmosphere surrounding the Lambeth Awards dissolved after critics pointed out unequivocal statements made by Ashrafi in 2007. In those remarks, the cleric characterized Bin Laden as a figure who had been actively fighting on behalf of Islam against Russian, American, and British forces.

Archival reports also revealed that Ashrafi had suggested conferring upon the al-Qaeda leader the prestigious honorary title of Saifullah, an Arabic phrase translating to the "Sword of God." The resurfacing of these comments prompted severe criticism regarding the vetting procedures carried out prior to granting him the award.

Addressing the controversy, Ashrafi told the BBC that his past comments had been entirely taken out of context. He asserted that the renewed focus on his earlier statements was part of an organized and unfair campaign intended to undermine his reputation and public record.

The cleric maintained that his statements regarding Bin Laden in 2007 were made strictly in reaction to the deep grievances and hurt experienced across the Muslim world when author Sir Salman Rushdie was granted a British knighthood. Rushdie has long faced intense hostility over his controversial novel *The Satanic Verses*.

Despite the widespread condemnation of Bin Laden's violent legacy, Ashrafi defended drawing a direct comparison between the literary author and a man responsible for orchestrating large-scale terrorist operations that resulted in thousands of civilian deaths.

Beyond the remarks concerning Bin Laden, Ashrafi’s broader record on religious freedom in Pakistan has drawn sustained criticism from international observers. While he intervened in isolated cases such as that of Rimsha Masih, he has consistently maintained a stance of open support for Pakistan’s contentious blasphemy statutes.

These statutory blasphemy provisions have resulted in the formal prosecution of an estimated 2,000 individuals since the late 1980s. The application of the laws has fallen with disproportionate severity upon Pakistan’s vulnerable religious minorities, particularly Christians and Ahmadis, though numerous members of the majority Sunni Muslim population have also faced charges.

Ashrafi has persistently defended the controversial legal framework, arguing that the blasphemy laws perform a vital public function by saving lives. According to the cleric, having state-enforced penalties prevents angry crowds from taking matters into their own hands and engaging in extrajudicial violence.

Conversely, major rights watchdogs have offered a starkly different evaluation of the laws' societal impact. Human Rights Watch noted last year that the legislation systematically perpetuates religious discrimination and is routinely weaponized to target marginalized populations and the poor in connection with unlawful property evictions and land seizures.

The human rights organization has repeatedly urged the Pakistani government to enact urgent legal reforms to prevent these statutes from being exploited against vulnerable communities. In light of these cumulative controversies and the cleric's historical endorsements, Lambeth Palace ultimately determined that allowing the interfaith award to stand was entirely untenable.