Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks?

Of the 55 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 9% are rated left, 22% are rated centre, 69% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 83. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.

Is Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks left or right?

Neither side dominates it. Of the 55 rated outlets on this story, 9% are rated left, 22% are rated centre, 69% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.

Is the coverage of Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks biased?

Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks is one event reported by 83 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.

Which side is not reporting Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks?

When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.

Which outlets covered Archbishop revokes award to cleric over Osama bin Laden remarks?

83 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.

Why was the award to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi revoked?

Lambeth Palace revoked the award due to past comments made by Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi in 2007, in which he stated that Osama bin Laden should be given the title 'Saifullah', meaning 'Sword of God'. These comments resurfaced, leading to the withdrawal of the honour.

What was the award given for?

The award, the Hubert Walter Award, was given to Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi for his work in reconciliation and interfaith co-operation. He was recognised for his contributions as an ambassador of interfaith harmony in Pakistan.

What is the explanation for Ashrafi's comments about Osama bin Laden?

A spokesperson for Ashrafi stated that his remarks were taken out of context and were made during a protest against Salman Rushdie's knighthood. The spokesperson explained that the comments were intended to illustrate the hurt felt by Muslims over the honour given to Rushdie, rather than endorse bin Laden.