The first female Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev Sarah Mullally, came into her post vowing to speak out against misogyny. Then she stood up next to Muslim cleric Tahir Ashrafi and his wife who was covered from head to toe in black, even her eyes barely visible, swathed as she was in modesty garb, and presented the man with an award at Lambeth Palace for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation.
The cleric this feminist faith leader gave the award to believes that women who don't wear an Islamic hijab to cover their hair deserve to be raped. He believes in bigamy and in spreading Islamic law across Europe. He believes that there should be blasphemy laws preventing people from defaming Islam under threat of death. The Archbishop of Canterbury gave him an award.
Ashrafi has praised Osama Bin Laden and met him many times. He chairs a group of Islamic scholars in Pakistan who had honored that former head of Al Qaeda, calling him the Sword of Allah. "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," said Ashrafi in 2007.
"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," he said at the time.
He believes Islam permits a man to take four wives without asking permission and has praised Iran for "standing like a wall of lead against Jews and Christians." As for the atrocities of Oct. 7, he said "Hamas' response is an answer to Israel's atrocities. Israel has been continuously desecrating Al-Aqsa Mosque." He later said, "Allah crushed the pride of Israel through the Palestinian freedom fighters."
How's that for "interfaith cooperation"?
It's hard to imagine that a man who praises a mass murdering terrorist, backs terror attacks, and sees global concerns in religious terms could really be up for an award on Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. Calls were quick from British survivors of terror attacks—of which there have been a substantial number in the UK—to apologize. On Wednesday, Mullally did just that and revoked the award.
"It is a longstanding principle of interfaith dialogue and co-operation that we must engage with one another across deeply-held differences," Mullally said when revoking the award, "and that remains the case. However, previous comments made by Imam Ashrafi have come to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn.
"We have contacted Imam Ashrafi to make him aware of this decision. We continue to pray for the Christian community in Pakistan, and for all those working for interfaith dialogue and harmony in Pakistan and around the world."
Photos of Mullally's initial meeting with Ashrafi were absurd, showing Mullally standing there opposite Ashrafi, his wife nearly invisible between them as she is fully covered, barely even visible as anything other than a mute, deaf, dumb object.
When she accepted the role back in January, Mullally said, "It is fair to say that I have, both in my secular role, as well as in the Church, experienced misogyny at times."
"I'm conscious that being in this role, it's important for me to speak of it [misogyny]," she said at the time, "because there are some that don't necessarily have the status or power of this role, and feel more hesitant to do it. I commit myself to making an environment where all people can flourish and which is safer for all."
But as she stood to give an award to a terrorist sympathizer, she said nothing about the misogyny of his religion, the objectification of his wife, nor did she speak up for the Muslim women in Britain who are forced by their male relatives to live with these women-hating restrictions. She has apologized for giving the award to Ashrafi, but she has not apologized to all the women suffering a religious oppression that she has now condoned by her complicity in it.
Graphic: Grok AI
The cleric this feminist faith leader gave the award to believes that women who don't wear an Islamic hijab to cover their hair deserve to be raped. He believes in bigamy and in spreading Islamic law across Europe. He believes that there should be blasphemy laws preventing people from defaming Islam under threat of death. The Archbishop of Canterbury gave him an award.
Ashrafi has praised Osama Bin Laden and met him many times. He chairs a group of Islamic scholars in Pakistan who had honored that former head of Al Qaeda, calling him the Sword of Allah. "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," said Ashrafi in 2007.
"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," he said at the time.
He believes Islam permits a man to take four wives without asking permission and has praised Iran for "standing like a wall of lead against Jews and Christians." As for the atrocities of Oct. 7, he said "Hamas' response is an answer to Israel's atrocities. Israel has been continuously desecrating Al-Aqsa Mosque." He later said, "Allah crushed the pride of Israel through the Palestinian freedom fighters."
How's that for "interfaith cooperation"?
It's hard to imagine that a man who praises a mass murdering terrorist, backs terror attacks, and sees global concerns in religious terms could really be up for an award on Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. Calls were quick from British survivors of terror attacks—of which there have been a substantial number in the UK—to apologize. On Wednesday, Mullally did just that and revoked the award.
"It is a longstanding principle of interfaith dialogue and co-operation that we must engage with one another across deeply-held differences," Mullally said when revoking the award, "and that remains the case. However, previous comments made by Imam Ashrafi have come to light that have led Lambeth Palace to reconsider this award and we can now confirm today that the award has been withdrawn.
"We have contacted Imam Ashrafi to make him aware of this decision. We continue to pray for the Christian community in Pakistan, and for all those working for interfaith dialogue and harmony in Pakistan and around the world."
Photos of Mullally's initial meeting with Ashrafi were absurd, showing Mullally standing there opposite Ashrafi, his wife nearly invisible between them as she is fully covered, barely even visible as anything other than a mute, deaf, dumb object.
When she accepted the role back in January, Mullally said, "It is fair to say that I have, both in my secular role, as well as in the Church, experienced misogyny at times."
"I'm conscious that being in this role, it's important for me to speak of it [misogyny]," she said at the time, "because there are some that don't necessarily have the status or power of this role, and feel more hesitant to do it. I commit myself to making an environment where all people can flourish and which is safer for all."
But as she stood to give an award to a terrorist sympathizer, she said nothing about the misogyny of his religion, the objectification of his wife, nor did she speak up for the Muslim women in Britain who are forced by their male relatives to live with these women-hating restrictions. She has apologized for giving the award to Ashrafi, but she has not apologized to all the women suffering a religious oppression that she has now condoned by her complicity in it.
Graphic: Grok AI
