Archbishop Sarah Mullally was compelled to withdraw a high-profile Lambeth Award during a Friday ceremony at Lambeth Palace.. The decision followed the discovery of controversial statements made by the recipient, Pakistani cleric Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi.
The Hubert Walter Award's sudden reversal for Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi
The 2024 Lambeth Awards ceremony at Lambeth Palace took a dramatic turn when the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Co-operation was revoked. As reported by the source, Archbishop Sarah Mullally presented the award to 68-year-old Pakistani cleric Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The presentation took place in the historic Great Hall, but the celebration was short-lived as social media scrutiny quickly highlighted the recipient's controversial history.
The timing of the event added a layer of tension to the proceedings. While the Archbishop's opening speech addressed global injustices such as poverty and the climate emergency, the presence of Ashrafi on the balcony alongside his wife created an immediate conflict with the solemnity of the 9/11 anniversary.
From "Sword of God" to a rescinded honor
Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi’s history of inflammatory rhetoric regarding Osama bin Laden directly contradicted the interfaith mission of the Church of England. According to the report, Ashrafi previously claimed in a BBC interview to have met the terrorist leader multiple times. He even conferred the title "Saifullah"—meaning "Sword of God"—upon bin Laden in 2007 as a response to the British government's decision to honor Salman Rushdie.
These statements, which characterized bin Laden as a "mujahed" who fought against Western powers, made his presence at a reconciliation ceremony untenable. Following the discovery of these remarks during the event, the Archbishop's office announced an immediate review, and the award was rescinded within minutes.
A prestigious legacy at Lambeth Palace faces a vetting crisis
The Lambeth Awards represent one of the most significant honors within the Anglican Communion, with a roster of past recipients that includes Queen Elizabeth and Pope Francis. This recent incident involving Archbishop Mullally highlights a significant gap in the institutional due diligence required for such high-profile recognitions. The scandal suggests a disconnect between the Archbishop's personal social advocacy and the administrative vetting of award nominees.
The episode has sparked a broader conversation regarding how religious institutions maintain their integrity in a multicultural, interconnected society. For the Church of England, the incident serves as a reminder that the prestige of an award is tied directly to the perceived character of its recipients.
Who overlooked the cleric's history of jihadist praise?
The suddenness of the award's rescission leaves several critical questions regarding the Church of England's internal selection processes. It remains unclear how a figure with such widely documented and provocative views on bin Laden was cleared for a ceremony held on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Furthermore, the source notes that while the Archbishop's office announced a review, there has been no formal statement explaining the specific failure in the nomination pipeline or how future vetting will be restructured to prevent a repeat of this embarrassment.
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