The Archbishop of Canterbury has faced criticism following the decision to revoke an award previously granted to a prominent Muslim cleric over remarks linked to Osama bin Laden. The Most Reverend Sarah Mullally retracted the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Co-operation from Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, sparking controversy within religious communities.

Ashrafi was initially honoured at Lambeth Palace in early September on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks for his role in safeguarding religious minorities, particularly Christians, in Pakistan. However, it later emerged that in 2007, Ashrafi had suggested referring to Bin Laden, who was still alive at the time, using an honorary military title meaning “sword of God.” Ashrafi clarified that the remark was rhetorical, expressing anger over the knighthood awarded to Salman Rushdie, whose book The Satanic Verses had deeply offended many Muslims. He denied this as an endorsement of Bin Laden or terrorism.

The Pakistan Ulema Council, under Ashrafi’s leadership, has publicly condemned suicide bombings, terrorism, and extremism. The nomination for the award took place during the tenure of the former Archbishop, the Right Reverend Justin Welby, though it was Mullally who presented the prize. Ashrafi reportedly had several meetings with Welby and was involved in coordinating the archbishop’s visits to Pakistan.

Despite standing by its previous praise of Ashrafi’s support for religious minorities, Lambeth Palace announced last week that the award would be rescinded. Archbishop Azad Marshall, moderator of the Church of Pakistan, expressed deep dismay over the decision. Speaking to a religious news outlet, Marshall warned that the retraction could provoke backlash against Christians in Pakistan, noting the humiliation felt by local Muslim scholars. He highlighted the trust Ashrafi had placed in the Church of England by bringing his family to Lambeth and described the retraction as a grave offense to both Ashrafi and the wider Christian community in Pakistan.

Lambeth Palace acknowledged the impact of the situation, stating that Mullally was “reflecting carefully on the very difficult events of the past week.” The palace emphasized that there was no intent to cause offense but recognized the distress the decision had caused, both within the UK and abroad. It also noted that it was reviewing its nomination and vetting procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Requests for further comment were directed to Lambeth Palace, with Welby referring inquiries to the current administration.