Archbishop withdraws interfaith award after cleric's bin Laden praise emerges

The Church of England has taken back an interfaith award given to Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. He received the prize at Lambeth Palace on September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The award recognised his work promoting religious harmony in Pakistan.

The withdrawal came on September 17, after journalists found old statements by Ashrafi praising Osama bin Laden. In 2007, he called bin Laden "Sword of God" and said he was serving Muslims through violence against non-believers. Ashrafi's spokesman said the comments had been taken out of context.

The National Secular Society had already called the original decision "obscene, and almost beyond parody." Lambeth Palace withdrew the award six days after the ceremony.