Archbishop of Canterbury office withdraws award from cleric over past bin Laden comments
Lambeth Palace in London withdrew an interfaith award given to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Thursday after his past remarks about Osama bin Laden came to light.
Award presented and then revoked
Sarah Mullally, head of the Church of England, handed the Hubert Walter Award to Ashrafi last Friday. The ceremony took place on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Lambeth Palace confirmed the decision to remove the honour was made after previous comments were discovered.
Reason for the withdrawal
In 2007, Ashrafi stated he would give Osama bin Laden the title Saifullah in protest of a knighthood given to Salman Rushdie. The Archbishop's office said these earlier statements led them to reconsider the award initially given for support of religious minorities. A spokesperson noted that the controversy involved remarks made years ago rather than current endorsements.
Reactions from secular groups
The National Secular Society described the original presentation as obscene and almost beyond parody. They highlighted that the event occurred on the anniversary of a terror attack killing nearly 3,000 people. The group specifically noted that 67 British citizens died in those attacks.
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