The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has withdrawn an award for interfaith cooperation that she presented to Pakistani Islamic cleric Tahir Ashrafi on the anniversary of 9/11. The withdrawal came after it emerged that Ashrafi's organisation had previously bestowed a religious honour upon Osama Bin Laden, and that Ashrafi himself had praised this decision in 2007. The incident raised significant concerns about vetting procedures within the Church of England and sparked debate about tensions between interfaith dialogue and accountability for past statements supporting extremism.

The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation was presented at Lambeth Palace on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, timing that drew particular criticism. Ashrafi's Pakistan Ulema Council had awarded Bin Laden the title "Saifullah" (meaning "Sword of Allah") in 2007, with Ashrafi stating at the time this was a response to Britain knighting author Salman Rushdie. Whilst Lambeth Palace acknowledged Ashrafi's genuine work supporting Christian minorities in Pakistan, public and political backlash—including criticism from the Shadow Justice Secretary and the National Secular Society—prompted the award's immediate withdrawal.