A mass in a church in Lebanon. (Credit: Photo archives L'Orient Today)
During Sunday Mass at Notre-Dame Church in Amarat Shalhoub (Metn district), a man disrupted the service by shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is Great) and reciting a verse from the Quran, causing panic among the congregation. Michel Murr, head of the Zalka-Amarat Shalhoub municipality confirmed the incident to L'Orient Today.
Murr reported the man was handed over to the army’s intelligence services, though his motivations remain unclear. He suggested the individual was likely mentally unstable and stated that the municipality considered the issue resolved. When contacted, the army said that it had no information about the incident.
A video released on the Lebanon Debate, an online news and media platform, captures a man approaching the church altar, briefly speaking to the attendees, and then being escorted away by the priest and another person.
Earlier on Sunday, another incident occurred in Faraya (Kesrouan), where unidentified individuals removed a figurine of Jesus from a Christmas Nativity scene and replaced it with a revolver.
In a video shared by the news outlet al-Nashra, Charbel Salameh, the parish priest of Faraya, stated that he had informed the authorities and urged the community to “pray for those trying to create division” and to “remain composed” to avoid further conflict.
In a statement, the Faraya municipality urged residents to “stay united ... and protect coexistence,” noting that the incident occurred on Saturday at around 6 p.m. The municipality added that the revolver was found by “children” as their grandfather was taking photos of them near the Nativity scene. The Jesus figurine was found outside the Nativity scene. After the incident, security forces seized the revolver and opened an investigation.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.