Archbishop ‘withdraws’ award given to Tahir Ashrafi who praised Osama
LONDON: The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury on Thursday withdrew an interfaith award given this September 11 to a Muslim cleric who praised Osama bin Laden, after the decision sparked backlash. Sarah Mullally, the head of the Church of England, last week handed awards to faith leaders including Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, for “reconciliation and interfaith cooperation”. Ashrafi…
On Thursday, the Archbishop of Canterbury's office announced that an interfaith award previously given to Muslim cleric Tahir Ashrafi would be withdrawn. The decision came after a backlash over Ashrafi's praise of Osama bin Laden. Sarah Mullally, head of the Church of England, had awarded Ashrafi on September 11 for his "reconciliation and interfaith cooperation."
Ashrafi, who heads the Pakistan Ulema Council, once described bin Laden as the "Sword of Allah" in protest against Britain's knighthood to author Salman Rushdie. In 2007, Ashrafi told AFP that awarding bin Laden was a way to express solidarity with Muslim warriors facing backlash. The archbishop's office clarified that Ashrafi's previous comments had not been an endorsement of bin Laden but rather an explanation of the pain felt by many Muslims over the British honor bestowed upon Rushdie.
Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop's seat, had previously posted a photo of Mullally presenting the award to Ashrafi for his work as an ambassador of interfaith harmony in Pakistan. The withdrawal of the award has sparked criticism from some political figures, who have questioned the naivety of public institutions engaging with individuals like Ashrafi.
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