The Archbishop of Canterbury has been accused of sending a ‘deeply troubling message’ by posing next to the fully-covered wife of an Islamic cleric who honoured Osama Bin Laden.
Dame Sarah Mullally was pictured with Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, a 68-year-old Pakistani cleric, and his wife, who wore a niqab that concealed the entirety of her face apart from her eyes.
Critics say the Archbishop, who pledged to speak out against misogyny when she took up the role in January, had effectively ‘condoned’ the repression of Muslim women and caused ‘serious reputational damage’ to the Church of England.
Mr Ashrafi was handed the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Co-operation, having allegedly promoted harmonious relationships between different religious groups.
Yet just days after the awards ceremony took place at Lambeth Palace, the first female Archbishop of Canterbury found herself under fire for including Mr Ashrafi, who it was revealed had bestowed an honour on the Al Qaeda chief while he remained a fugitive following 9/11.
The fact the ceremony took place last Friday – on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks – only exacerbated matters further.
Lambeth Palace subsequently withdrew the award, but the Archbishop has since been accused of not issuing a formal apology – or of acknowledging concerns around the ‘dignity and freedom of women’ conveyed by the photograph.
Notably, Mr Ashrafi’s wife was not named in any caption attached to the image. A second woman seen in photographs from the event, believed to be his daughter, has also remained anonymous.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has been accused of sending a ‘deeply troubling message’ by posing next to the fully-covered wife of Islamic cleric Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi
Shadow Home Secretary Nick Timothy has criticised the Archbishop for ‘condoning’ the repression of Muslim women
An extract from the letter sent by Nick Timothy and shadow culture secretary Rebecca Paul
Now Nick Timothy, shadow home secretary, and Rebecca Paul, shadow culture secretary, have formally written to the Archbishop to complain over the matter.
They wrote: ‘The Church of England teaches the equal dignity and worth of men and women. Yet you presented the award alongside Mr Ashrafi’s wife, whose face was concealed by a niqab so that only her eyes were visible and Lambeth Palace subsequently published that image.
‘This could appear to condone one of the most repressive manifestations of Islam, one that denies women basic freedoms over how they dress, whether they may show their faces and how they interact with others.
‘At this very moment, women in Afghanistan face violence for refusing to cover, while women in Iran have been imprisoned and brutally attacked for resisting compulsory veiling.
‘Nor is coercion confined to other countries: many women and girls in Britain also face coercion and cultural pressure to veil themselves too.
‘It is important for you to reflect on what message this conveys to women fighting for the freedoms that we take for granted.’
Posting the image of the Archbishop with Mr Ashrafi and his wife wearing a niqab to his X account, Nick Timothy commented: ‘When I see a woman in a burqa, I see a human being in a ball and chain.’
After the incident came to light, Tory MP Neil O’Brien said: ‘I think the niqab is oppressive and makes women second class citizens. It is clearly not required in Islam. While this is a free country, it should be discouraged at all levels.’
Meanwhile Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X: ‘Yes, the church might have been ignorant of some facts, but the presence of a woman with a full face veil, covered head to toe, in an outfit widely known as a visible symbol of female oppression should have given pause for thought.’
She added that the choice to bring Mr Ashrafi to Lambeth Palace amounted to a ‘significant lapse’.
In the hours after receiving his award, video emerged of Mr Ashrafi praising his wife – who is seen in one image wearing the honorary medal – for her ‘support’.
He said: ‘And because the lady – the Archbishop – is a woman, I said it’s been 32 years since I got married, and if my wife hasn’t supported me in all my highs and lows, and my daughter too from one point, maybe I would not have reached this stage today. And that’s why I got my wife to collect the award.’
But just days later, Lambeth Palace contacted Mr Ashrafi to inform him the award had been withdrawn after it emerged that the group of Islamic scholars he chairs in Pakistan had previously given its highest honour to Osama Bin Laden.
The Ulema Council gave Bin Laden a religious title meaning ‘Sword of Allah’ in retaliation for Britain awarding a knighthood to Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie.
Mr Ashrafi said in June 2007: ‘We are pleased to award the title of Saifullah to Osama bin Laden after the British government’s decision to bestow the title of ‘Sir’ on blasphemer Rushdie. This is the highest title for a Muslim warrior.’
He added: ‘If a blasphemer can be given the title ‘Sir’ by the West despite the fact that he’s hurt the feelings of Muslims, then a mujahid who has been fighting for Islam against the Russians, Americans and British must be given the lofty title of Islam, Saifullah.’
Other evidence of Mr Ashrafi’s questionable views also came to light.
Earlier this year, at the start of the Iran war, the cleric shared an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that the US and Israeli missile strikes were part of a plot to eventually take control of his own country.
‘Under the cover of Iran, the target of the Jews and Christians is nuclear-armed Pakistan,’ he said, before praising Iran’s ‘mujahideen’, or religious warriors, who were ‘standing like a wall of lead against Jews and Christians’.
According to the Times of Karachi, he also called the assassinated Ayatollah Khamenei a ‘martyr’, while following the devastating attacks of October 7, 2023, he described the Hamas terrorists as ‘Palestinian freedom fighters’.
Evidence of Mr Ashrafi’s other questionable views came to light, as it emegerd he previously honoured Osama bin Laden while he was a fugitive following 9/11
Mr Ashrafi said of those who oppose blasphemy laws: ‘We will break that hand, if you used your tongue against Islamic clauses, we will cut that tongue, if you directed your eyes towards Islamic clauses, we will take your eyes out.’
A spokesperson for Mr Ashrafi said: ‘Regarding Osama bin Laden, Ashrafi’s remarks have been presented without their proper context.
‘His comparison was not an endorsement of bin Laden; it was made in the context of explaining the hurt felt by many Muslims over the British honour given to Salman Rushdie.
‘His longstanding record against terrorism and violent extremism should be considered when assessing such remarks.’
The spokesperson added: ‘The decision of Ashrafi’s wife and daughter to observe hijab is their personal and religious right.
‘Ashrafi also dedicated his recent Hubert Walter Award to his wife, acknowledging her support and contribution throughout his work.’
A spokesperson for Lambeth Palace said: ‘We fully recognise the widespread concern caused by the inclusion of Imam Ashrafi in last week’s Lambeth Awards ceremony.
‘After his previous comments came to light we rescinded the award as quickly as possible.
‘Lambeth Palace is reviewing how this particular award came to be given – and our wider nomination and vetting processes – to ensure that lessons are learned for the future.’
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