Archbishop of Canterbury Revokes Award to Cleric Who Praised Bin Laden

The Archbishop of Canterbury has revoked an award presented to a Pakistani cleric after it emerged that the cleric had previously praised Osama bin Laden. The decision came after the cleric, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Ashrafi, who chairs the Islamic umbrella group Pakistan Ulema Council, was honored at Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The award recognized his work as an ambassador of interfaith harmony in Pakistan and his commitment to religious tolerance. However, shortly after the ceremony, comments made by Ashrafi in 2007 resurfaced in which he referred to bin Laden as someone who "had been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans, and British." On another occasion, he described the al-Qaeda founder as deserving of the title "Saifullah," meaning "sword of God."

Ashrafi has also faced criticism for his support of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Human Rights Watch has previously condemned these laws for perpetuating religious discrimination and contributing to unlawful evictions and land grabs targeting minorities.

Lambeth Palace announced on Thursday that the award had been withdrawn. A statement indicated that while interfaith engagement across differences is important, "previous comments made by Imam Ashrafi have come to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award." The palace confirmed the award was rescinded and that Ashrafi had been notified.

Ashrafi, in a statement to BBC News, claimed his comments were taken out of context and that the backlash constituted an unfair campaign against him. He suggested the remarks were made in response to the anger felt by many Muslims following the British government's decision to award a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie, whose book "The Satanic Verses" is considered blasphemous by some.

Neither Lambeth Palace nor Ashrafi immediately responded to further requests for comment.