Overview
- The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation was presented at Lambeth Palace on Friday, September 11, to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi and was publicly pictured by the Archbishop's office.
- Lambeth Palace announced on Thursday that it had withdrawn the award after previous comments from 2007 — in which Ashrafi said he would give Osama bin Laden the title 'Saifullah' — came to light.
- Ashrafi's representatives say the 2007 remarks were taken out of context, that no formal title was ever conferred, and that his record includes work against violent extremism and support for religious minorities.
- Survivors, politicians and groups such as the National Secular Society condemned the honour as especially hurtful given the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and called for apologies and explanations from the Archbishop's office.
- The episode has intensified scrutiny of the Church of England's vetting processes for public honours and is likely to prompt a formal review of how Lambeth Palace balances interfaith engagement with reputational risk.