“And because of their saying, We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of Allah, they did not kill him nor crucify him, but it seemed so to them, and indeed, those who disagree about this are in doubt about it, they have no knowledge of it except pursuit of a supposition, they did not kill him for certain.” (Qur’an 4:157)
As a result of this verse, as well as the apologetic claim that Allah would not allow one of his prophets to be defeated and humiliated, many Muslims believe that the cross is an insult to Allah. This kind of incident is the result.
“Pakistan: Muslim Man climbs on the cross of a church and vandalizes it, chants Islamic verses terrorising local Christians, video viral,” OpIndia, March 24, 2022:
In the Green Town area of Nishtar Tehsil in Lahore, Pakistan, a Muslim man reportedly climbed the cross on the roof of a church and chanted Islamic verses threatening the local public. He was accompanied by two other men who insulted local Christian men while ogling and making sexual gestures at young Christian girls in the locality.
Muhammed Bilal Saleem entered a factory and ascended the facility’s steps to the roof. He vaulted across to the roof of the adjacent church, where he straddled a massive cross anchored on a metal structure. Bilal began frantically swaying on the cross while yelling “Allah-u-Akbar” and other Islamic phrases.
A Twitter user Arzoo Kazmi, whose profile indicates that she is a Pakistani journalist, shared the video writing, “A Muslim fanatic climbed onto a church roof and chanted Islamic verses as he tried to terrorise a local community while vandalising a large cross. & #PMImranKhan is talking about #Islamophobia”
It can be clearly seen in the video the person violently hurls “Allah-u-Akbar” slogans and swings the cross. However, it is not clear about the date and time of the video but it is most likely a recent video as per many reports.
A large crowd of Christians gathered to see what was causing the uproar. At the same moment, several of them phoned the local police and were informed that a police team would arrive immediately to investigate the matter. Some Church members and other Christians went to his aid once he was brought down from the cross.
As reports suggest, Muhammad Bilal works in a facility that manufactures window grills, which is close to the Green Town locality. An FIR has also been filed against Muhammad Bilal for blasphemy under sections 295 and 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code. Bilal is also being prosecuted for trespass and criminal damage. Despite their involvement in the abuse and vandalism, no action is being taken against Bilal’s companions….
