Archbishop of Canterbury Withdraws Interfaith Award After Cleric's Past Praise of Bin Laden Surfaces

The Archbishop of Canterbury's office has withdrawn an interfaith award presented to Pakistani cleric Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, after past comments in which he praised Osama bin Laden came to light.

Ashrafi received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation at Lambeth Palace on a Friday. The award ceremony coincided with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Lambeth Palace announced the reversal on Thursday, stating that Ashrafi's previous remarks had surfaced, prompting a reconsideration of the 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. "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to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn. We have contacted Imam Ashrafi to make him aware of this decision."

According to Lambeth Palace, the award was initially given to Ashrafi for his "longstanding support for religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly the Christian community" and his "outstanding work as an ambassador of interfaith harmony in Pakistan, known for his commitment to promoting religious tolerance."

Reports indicate that Ashrafi stated in 2007 that bin Laden, the architect of the 9/11 attacks, "had been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans and British." The reports also state Ashrafi said he would give bin Laden the title "Saifullah," meaning "Sword of God."

Ashrafi told the BBC that his remarks had been "totally taken out of context" and described the backlash as an "unfair campaign." He explained that he made the comments about bin Laden in 2007 in response to "the hurt felt by many Muslims" over the British government's decision to knight author Salman Rushdie.

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."