Revocation of interfaith award for Pakistani cleric

Lambeth Palace and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, have revoked the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. The award had been presented to Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to recognize his work supporting religious minorities and interfaith harmony.

The revocation follows public backlash regarding resurfaced comments from 2007. During that period, Ashrafi suggested conferring the title ‘Saifullah’ (meaning ‘Sword of God’) upon Osama bin Laden for ‘serving Muslims by waging jihad against infidels’ in response to the British government awarding a knighthood to Salman Rushdie. He reportedly described bin Laden as someone who had ‘been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans, and British.’

Ashrafi has defended his remarks, claiming they were ‘totally taken out of context’ and intended to illustrate Muslim offense regarding the Rushdie honor. Lambeth Palace issued a statement confirming the withdrawal, noting that while interfaith dialogue remains a core principle, the revealed comments led to a reconsideration of the award. Reports also note that Ashrafi has faced criticism for his support of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which have been condemned by Human Rights Watch for perpetuating religious discrimination.