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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Pakistan: Christian builds giant cross, challenges jihadis to destroy it

May 18, 2015 9:53 pm By Robert Spencer

huge crossParvez Henry Gill is standing up against violent intimidation. If the reaction to his building of this cross runs along the same line as the reaction to our Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest, he will be accused of deliberately offending the jihadis with a gratuitous provocation, and blamed for anything that may happen to him. “Man builds giant bullet-proof cross, challenges Muslim extremists to destroy it,” by Oge Okonkwo, Pulse, May 18, 2015 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

Parvez Henry Gill a devout Christian who lives in Karachi said that God had come to him in a dream one night four years ago and challenged him with the divine task of finding a way to relieve Pakistani Christians from the constant fear of persecution and abuse frequently perpetrated by Pakistan’s radical Muslim community.

In the recent wave of religious tensions sweeping across Pakistan, a Christian businessman in the country’s largest city is building a giant 14-storey cross outside the entrance to the largest Christian cemetery in Karachi.

Parvez Henry Gill a devout Christian who lives in Karachi, spoke to Washington Post about his mission. He said that God had come to him in a dream one night four years ago and challenged him with the divine task of finding a way to relieve Pakistani Christians from the constant fear of persecution and abuse frequently perpetrated by Pakistan’s radical Muslim community.

Gill says the construction of the giant cross is to encourage fellow Christians to stay in Pakistan despite the religious tensions in the country.

“I want you to do something different,” Gill remembers God telling him.

According to Christian Post, Gill admitted that he wasn’t quite sure what the best way to answer God’s call was. After many sleepless nights, he awoke one morning with the realization that he needed to build a giant cross.

“I said, ‘I am going to build a big cross, higher than any in the world, in a Muslim country,'” Gill asserted. “It will be a symbol of God, and everybody who sees this will be worry free.”

Four years later, that giant cross is nearly complete, standing at the entrance to the Gora Qabaristan Cemetery in Karachi. With the cross measuring in at 140-feet tall, the cross bar is 42 feet in length.

Parts of Gora Qabaristan Cemetery, which dates back to the British colonial era, have been disrespectfully settled upon, and many of the headstones have suffered defacement by the Muslim community, which makes up about 96 percent of the Pakistani population.

Although many Pakistani Christians, who make up a little over 1 percent of the nation’s population, have been killed, beaten, burned, wrongfully jailed and treated like second-class citizens, Gill hopes that Christians around Karachi will see the cross as a positive sign that Christianity can exist there.

“I want Christian people to see it and decide to stay here,” Gill explained.

Considering the Muslim community in Karachi will have objections to the huge, noticeable symbol of Christianity and will likely attempt to tear it down, Gill said destroying the cross will not be easy because it’s “bulletproof” and sits on a 20-foot underground base.

“Tons and tons of Iron, steel and cement,” Gill stated. “If anyone tries to hit this cross, they will not succeed.”

Gill explained that getting construction workers to build the cross was a challenge.

Upon hiring workers, Gill said he did not tell them what they were building. But when the shape of the cross became obvious, Gill said about 20 of his Muslim workers quit. However, that did not stop other Muslims from continuing to peacefully work on the cross alongside Christians.

One particular Muslim named Mohammad Ali (not to be confused with the boxing legend, Muhammad Ali) works on the cross’ construction as a volunteer for an astonishing 98 hours a week and considers it a “work of God.”

“Henry has supported me well over the years, helping with the birth of my [seven] children, with medicine, their education, so I don’t need a daily wage,” Ali told the Post.

Many of the area Christians are concerned that the cross will only further escalate religious tensions in the area and bring about more attacks against them.

Although many of Gill’s friends are concerned with his safety since they believe he has a target on his back, Gill said he doesn’t worry about the possibility that Muslims are out to get him. He leaves his safety in the hands of God, who was the one who initially called him to take action. Gill referred to Psalm 91.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust,'” Psalm 91 reads. “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.”

Although Gill said he wanted to build his cross higher than any other cross in the world, his structure does not top the list of the world’s tallest crosses. “The Great Cross” in St. Augustine, Florida, still holds the title for the world’s largest cross, as it stands in at 208 feet in height. Gill said that his cross will be the largest cross constructed in Asia.

When the Cross and its lighting system are finally completed later this year, Gill said he plans to hold an inaugural ceremony to honor its construction and plans to invite Pope Francis, Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Interesting guest list.

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Filed Under: Muslim persecution of Christians, Pakistan Tagged With: Parvez Henry Gill


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Comments

  1. KrazyKafir says

    May 18, 2015 at 10:09 pm

    3, 2, 1………..

    • spot on says

      May 19, 2015 at 2:55 pm

      Brave souls.

  2. somehistory says

    May 18, 2015 at 10:14 pm

    I hope this is not the last we hear of this guy. Beautiful Psalm.

  3. RonaldB says

    May 18, 2015 at 10:19 pm

    What an inspiring story.

    He acts brave, so he is brave.

    The oppressive Muslims are like roaches…they scurry from the light and work best in a closed drawer.

    The Muslim Muhammad Ali shows that Islam cannot drive all the good out of a human being, if he doesn’t let it.

    And brave as he is, our own domestic antijihadists, Spencer, Geller, and others, are just as brave and determined. Perhaps it will be as much by example as by knowledge that the tide of cowardice, purposeful ignorance, and surrender will be turned aroun.

  4. Linde Barrera says

    May 18, 2015 at 10:49 pm

    It would be fabulous if Jihad Watch did a follow up story when the cross is completed and the dedication ceremony is held. God bless Parvez Henry Gill, a Christian gentleman with brains, heart, decorum, and guts. Very impressive.

  5. Cecilia Ellis says

    May 19, 2015 at 1:07 am

    I wonder if Cathy Young will devote over 5000 words toward a vindictive character assassination of Parvez Henry Gill for his failure to consider Muslim sensitivities? Maybe, if she is equally vociferous in this regard, she might be added to the prestigious guest list . . .

  6. Plamen says

    May 19, 2015 at 2:56 am

    With better pictures of its building:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/68658066/pakistani-businessman-parvez-henry-gill-builds-a-huge-bulletproof-cross-in-karachi

  7. Loretta Pienaar says

    May 19, 2015 at 6:34 am

    Who do these evildoers, Muslims, and Obummer and CaMORON as well, think they are?? For sure, they are no gods, for sure they worship evil and in the case of CaMORON he seems to worship money and has sold his soul to the ME. Obummer… well. you’all know all about him.

  8. williamharvey457 says

    May 19, 2015 at 6:51 am

    “Pakistan: Christian builds giant cross, challenges jihadis to destroy it”.

    GREAT News !

    This IS what needs to be done ALL over the World – DEFY Islam, and it’s “Blood Thirsty” Jihad Culture of Brutal Bloody 7tn Century Butchery and “Hate”, for ANY Belief, Society, or Religion that is NOT 100% Allah, Mohammed, Qur’an Worshiping Islamic – the “Religion of Peace -NOT”, the “Religion of HATE- YES”.

  9. Baucent says

    May 19, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Knowing how any display of a Cross infuriates Islamists, it is incredible to have lasted four years of construction without a Taliban attack.
    He is one brave man.

    • Lioness says

      May 19, 2015 at 9:23 am

      Something WILL happen eventually. You can’t just build a cross in a muslim country and live to tell about it; impossible.

  10. Gary says

    May 19, 2015 at 9:12 am

    The Supremacy of the Son of God

    “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

    Colossians 1:15-19

    No wonder the cross is an offense to Muslims……

    It reveals the truth…..

    We can have peace with the Father. True peace. Lasting peace. Forever!

  11. RG says

    May 19, 2015 at 9:49 am

    The brave muslim man who continues to help with this “work of God” is proof that this is indeed A WORK OF GOD ALMIGHTY! Christians don’t worship the Cross as a HOLY ICON – that would be idolatry, but Satan knows what that symbol represents, and he fears it more than he fears the fires of hell!

    Yes, ‘RonaldB’, the muslims who worship the false allah-god are definitely flitting and scurrying about JUST LIKE COCKROACHES!!!

    ALL GLORY BE TO GOD ON HIGH!!!

  12. Angemon says

    May 19, 2015 at 11:33 am

    Big brass ones. ‘Nuff said.

  13. jayell says

    May 19, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    On top of a hill overlooking the northern UK town of Newcastle is a huge cross sculpture called ‘The Angel of the North’. Now, I’m waiting for the local muslims to be offended by THAT……

  14. Rossbro says

    May 19, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    Good Luck ! I hope this man and his friends have plenty of guns, ammo, and rpg’s.

  15. Paul says

    May 19, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    I can just imagine the tons of Muhammadan arsewipes looking
    like their heads are going to literally explode (if only they would!)
    owing to their utterly contrived anger at the sight of something
    representing love, peace and humanity – itself the very antithesis
    of Muhammadanism.

  16. Paul says

    May 19, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    So many different testimonies from Christians and non-Christians
    alike having some sort of encounter with Jesus or God – usually in
    their dreams like the guy in this article. However, I’m yet to hear of
    any where they are encountered by an insane paedophile from 7th
    century Arabia, or even with a pagan moon god.

  17. David, Thailand says

    May 19, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    An update will tell us he’s dead, but that will have nothing to do with Islam.

  18. Peggy says

    May 19, 2015 at 10:59 pm

    These are the people we should look up to, not scum like Cameron and Obama.
    May God keep him safe.

  19. Cartimandua says

    May 19, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    May the Good Lord bless him and look upon him with kindness and continue with the bravery he already has.

  20. dumbledoresarmy says

    May 20, 2015 at 4:47 am

    Thing I’d like to see: Pope Francis I kneeling in the dirt kissing the feet of this transcendantally brave and faithful Pakistani Christian.

    • Linde Barrera says

      May 20, 2015 at 11:15 am

      To dumbledoresarmy- As per your 4:47 am comment, I am with you. The Pope should acknowledge Mr. Parvez Gill. He is a very brave witness for Christ. I will write a note to His Holiness and suggest he go to Pakistan to celebrate this cross. I want to “put it out there.”

  21. Kasey says

    May 20, 2015 at 8:42 am

    Such religious/ideological rivalry and intolerance always provokes violence:

    Most of the violent and lethal trauma the World has been put thru for the last 1500 years or so by religious ideologies and certainly now, is based on several total fallacies.

    Jesus was just a man “of the seed of David” [Biblical quote] He was part of a Zealot movement with rivals and was crucified by the Romans. Somehow via sedation, he survived the crucifixion with adequate post-injury treatment with aloes and myhrr, recovered and went into exile on recovery for safety, in secret, firstly with Mary Magdelene then most likely later, with Lydia. [A far more likely scenario of reality, compared to the general surface story in the New Testament], and he never claimed to be the son of his god, Yehweh. Historically,both Judaism and Christianity drew on many common items of supposition and myth, and particularly for Christianity, from key elements of Mithrasism.

    Add all of that to Islam’s claimed beginnings based on mythological visitations by an “angel” called Gabriel, plus features copied from the other two religions, plus its known spreading methodology based on discriminatory and lethal directives from its holy books and there one has a mix and mass and clash of conflicting ideas and ideals and actions destined to be never ending, violent and lethal.

    *****************
    Why Humanity has to suffer this beggars belief. Surely its time for all monotheists to step back from their indoctrination and think again!

    • Linde Barrera says

      May 20, 2015 at 11:21 am

      To Kasey- In the Gospel of John, Jesus says “I and the Father are one.” So what do you mean when you state Jesus never claimed to be the Son?

    • Angemon says

      May 20, 2015 at 2:11 pm

      Kasey posted:

      “and he never claimed to be the son of his god, Yehweh.”

      C’mon, man. You don’t have to believe Jesus was the son of God, or even that he existed at all, and you don’t have to like Christianity, but what you wrote is plain wrong.

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