Archbishop Faces Backlash Over Award to Pakistani Cleric Who Praised Bin Laden

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Sarah Mullally, faces intense public and political backlash after presenting an official interfaith honour to a Pakistani cleric who historically praised Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. The Most Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally conferred the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation upon Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi during an official ceremony at Lambeth Palace in London on Friday, 11 September. The timing coincided directly with the 25th anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks, prompting sharp condemnation from terror survivors, parliamentarians, secular campaigners, and religious watchdogs.

Retaliatory Honour for Al-Qaeda Chief

Mr Ashrafi chairs the Pakistan Ulema Council, a prominent body of Islamic scholars that publicly bestowed an honorific religious title upon Osama bin Laden in June 2007. The council conferred the title of Saifullah, meaning "Sword of Allah," in direct retaliation for the British government granting a knighthood to author Salman Rushdie, whose 1988 novel The Satanic Verses prompted death threats and international controversy.

At the time, Mr Ashrafi publicly justified the action, stating that his council was pleased to award the title to bin Laden as the highest designation for an Islamic warrior. He told reporters that if the Western world could grant the title of "Sir" to a writer who offended religious sentiments, then an armed militant who had fought against British, American, and Russian forces was equally entitled to be designated the Sword of Allah.

Demands for Apology from Survivors and Parliament

The decision to honour Mr Ashrafi at Lambeth Palace has prompted widespread outrage across the United Kingdom. Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that Travis Frain, a survivor of the 2017 Westminster Bridge terror attack and founder of the Resilience in Unity Project, described the award as a grave error of judgement by the Church of England, made considerably worse by taking place on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Mr Frain formally called on the Archbishop to meet directly with survivors of terrorism to grasp the impact of radicalisation and understand the hurt caused by honouring individuals linked to terrorist praise.

Political figures quickly joined the condemnation. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy told journalists that the Archbishop's naivety was staggering, urging institutional leaders to recognise that not all international partners share Britain’s underlying commitments to democratic freedom and human rights.

Christian advocacy bodies also raised severe concerns regarding Mr Ashrafi's domestic political record. Tim Dieppe, Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, told journalists that presenting an award for reconciliation to a cleric who praised bin Laden and supports Pakistan's draconian capital blasphemy laws—statutes frequently used to persecute Pakistani Christians and religious minorities—defies comprehension. Mr Dieppe insisted that Dame Sarah Mullally issue an immediate apology to persecuted Christian communities and demand the repeal of those laws.

Scrutiny Over Palace Vetting and Imagery

The National Secular Society described the conferral as an insult to the victims of 9/11 and their surviving families, demanding that the Church explain what vetting processes took place and whether the Hubert Walter Award will now be revoked. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that the group has questioned whether palace officials were aware of Mr Ashrafi’s past statements prior to staging the ceremony.

Further scrutiny arose surrounding the photographic coverage published by Lambeth Palace. Images posted to its official channels documented Mr Ashrafi receiving the award alongside his veiled wife, yet captions failed to identify her by name while fully acknowledging him. Conservative Member of Parliament Neil O’Brien criticised the imagery, stating that the niqab represents an oppressive practice that diminishes women and should be actively discouraged in free societies.

Following the mounting national outcry, Lambeth Palace issued a formal statement confirming that church officials are aware of the statements circulating online attributed to Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi and are urgently reviewing the matter.