Archbishop of Canterbury revokes award from Pakistani cleric who praised Osama bin Laden

The Archbishop of Canterbury revoked the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation from Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Thursday. Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, received the award last Friday for his work in promoting religious tolerance and supporting minorities in Pakistan. The withdrawal followed the resurfacing of Ashrafi's 2007 comments praising Osama bin Laden as someone who had “been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans, and British.” Ashrafi stated his comments were “totally taken out of context” and part of “an unfair campaign” against him, made in response to the knighting of Salman Rushdie. He has also faced criticism for supporting Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which human rights groups argue perpetuate discrimination.