Archbishop of Canterbury withdraws award to Muslim cleric over past praise of Osama bin Laden
Unbiased summary
The Archbishop of Canterbury's office withdrew a reconciliation and interfaith cooperation award given to Pakistani cleric Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi after past comments praising Osama bin Laden resurfaced. The award was presented on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In 2007, Ashrafi, as head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, said he would give bin Laden the title 'Saifullah' ('Sword of God') for fighting against Western powers. Ashrafi said his remarks were taken out of context and were a response to Salman Rushdie's knighthood. Lambeth Palace confirmed the withdrawal, citing the newly surfaced comments.
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Coverage by outlet
BBC News
centre-left
Angle
Neutral reporting focused on the factual sequence of events and Ashrafi's defense.
Bias
BBC provides balanced context, including Ashrafi's rebuttal and the reasoning behind the original award. It avoids editorializing, sticks closely to official statements, and does not amplify additional allegations. It mentions the backlash but does not frame it with charged language.
The Independent
centre-left
Angle
Framing the award as a serious misjudgment, with emphasis on the National Secular Society's condemnation.
Bias
Highlights the criticism from the NSS, calling the award 'obscene'. It includes the fact that the award was given on the anniversary and notes 67 British victims, which emotionally strengthens the case against Ashrafi. It also notes the context of his 2007 remarks but gives more weight to the offense caused.
Daily Mail
right
Angle
Framing the Archbishop as 'forced' to withdraw and emphasizing the cleric's controversial views to attack the Church's judgment.
Bias
Uses the word 'forced' to imply incompetence or political pressure. Added a separate article with additional accusations about October 7 comments and polygamy, which are not in other outlets, to intensify the negative portrayal. Also includes a 'woke speech' critique of the Archbishop, straying from objective fact.
The Sun
right
Angle
Pushing a culture-war narrative, portraying the Archbishop as 'staggeringly naive' and left-leaning, while emphasizing threats to Western values.
Bias
Adopts a strongly opinionated tone with quotes from Conservative-linked figures (Nick Timothy) and survivors. Uses descriptors like 'bearded Muslim leader' and 'left-leaning Dame Sarah' to frame the issue ideologically. Omits Ashrafi's context and focuses on the outrage, making the coverage partisan.
GB News
right
Angle
Straightforward coverage of the revocation, but with a headline emphasizing the cleric's praise of bin Laden on the 9/11 anniversary.
Bias
Less extreme than other right-wing outlets, but still implies the award was a grave mistake. It includes the NSS criticism and Ashrafi's defense briefly. The outlet's overall framing aligns with a conservative critique of Church leadership, but it does not add extra allegations or use overtly inflammatory language.