Archbishop Withdraws Award Over Controversy

The Archbishop of Canterbury has withdrawn an award she gave to a Muslim

cleric after it emerged he'd previously praised Osama bin Laden.

The National Secular Society had branded the award to Hafiz

Tahir Ashrafi obscene and almost beyond parody.

Our religion editor, Ali Makbul, reports.

At Lambeth Palace last Friday, Archbishop Sarah Mullally gave

Hafiz Ashrafi an award for reconciliation and

interfaith cooperation. But it subsequently emerged that in two

thousand and seven, Imam Ashrafi praised the architect

of the nine eleven attacks, Osama bin Laden, as someone who,

in his words, "Fought for Islam against the Russians,

Americans, and British." Now, after fierce

criticism, Lambeth Palace says those comments have

led to the

award being withdrawn.