When a Christian preached outside a mosque, Muslims engaged him in conversation. However, Islamic clerics called the police and demanded that members stop talking to him.
Street preacher Chris Svochak spoke on a public sidewalk near the Islamic Association of North Texas in Richardson on October 3, he told The Dallas Express. He engaged several Muslims passing by, one of whom was particularly interested in Christianity.
Clerics called the police, however, demanding that the man stop talking to Svochak and return to the mosque.
Officers with the Richardson Police Department apparently explained that if the men stepped on mosque property, they could be trespassed and arrested. The interaction has since gone viral, with one October 18 post racking up more than 4.2 million views at the time of publication.
In Dallas, Texas, an Islamic imam got very angry when he saw a fellow Muslim talking to a Christian preacher.
He then called the police and threatened to get him arrested and ban the man from his mosque if he keeps ‘talking to Christians.’
This is what a cult looks like. pic.twitter.com/sDCPcNnBBG
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) October 18, 2025
Svochak and the man explained they were not fighting.
Richardson police Public Information Officer Mike Wieczorek told The Dallas Express he questions whether the video accurately portrays the situation. He said officers never issued a formal trespass to Svochak.
“He never actually tried to go on the property. He was warned not to, and he complied with that, so there was no trespass ever issued,” Wieczorek said. “He’s welcome to do that on a public sidewalk.”
Khalid Hamideh, attorney for IANT, told The Dallas Express the mosque is open to others. He cited the congregation’s involvement in local interfaith groups.
“We’re not like that video and that gentleman was trying to show that we are some kind of a shut-off cult-type of organization,” Hamideh said. “We are very open to interfaith dialogue.”
The Incident
While speaking at the mosque that day, Svochak said he engaged several Muslims in conversation.
Mosque leaders initially called police because Svochak was using a megaphone, violating the city’s noise ordinance, according to Wieczorek.
“We basically told him, ‘Hey, you’re welcome to be out here on the sidewalk and do what you want to do, just don’t use a loudspeaker,’” he said. “So he complied with that.”
Svochak continued speaking, and several members of the mosque began engaging him, per Wieczorek. “The officials at the mosque were trying to encourage their members to not engage with him, to not be antagonized and get into a back and forth argument.”
One mosque leader said he did not want anyone speaking with the Christian, Svochak said.
“The police were called and responded within minutes and worked with the mosque to attempt to thwart every conversation that was starting between me and any Muslims there,” Svochak said. “However, there was one young man that wanted to speak with me very badly.”
This led to the viral interaction, where the mosque leader demanded the Muslim return inside.
“I was simply speaking about God’s law and how merciful Jesus Christ is compared to the Quran,” Svochak said. “That appealed to this man.”
Mosque leaders advised worshipers to leave Svochak alone “for the purpose of safety,” according to Hamideh. He said one of the mosque managers went outside and told the Muslim man to stop speaking with the preacher.
“I think what he was told is that he’s going against the policies, and he was told by the police officers that this equates to trespassing,” Hamideh said. “I think he was just warned, but no, he’s not banished from the mosque at all.”
Svochak said it seemed the Muslim man was no longer welcome. He expressed concern about what he called the “implementation of Sharia law,” citing the Quran’s instruction to not take disbelievers as friends.
“Christians are being killed in Nigeria by Muslim extremists as we speak because of adherence to Sharia law,” Svochak said.
Hamideh said he thinks the preacher’s perspective was “disingenuous,” and said the mosque is open to interfaith dialogue.
“The video shows, ‘Muslims are not letting this guy talk to a Christian dude,’” Hamideh said. “We talk to Christians every day, and he’s more than welcome to reach out to us – reach out to me, and I’ll set up the meeting with our religious scholars.”
After the incident in the video, Svochak said he spoke with the Muslim man in greater detail about his faith.
“We still have contact with each other, and that should be allowed in this country without police not allowing it or mosque personnel either. Especially on a public sidewalk,” he said. “The God of the Bible has a severe punishment in the next life for violation of sin, but gives a way out through the death, burial, resurrection, and obeying the words of Jesus Christ in the Bible.”
In late September, Tom Ascol – a prominent pastor who leads a conservative group in the Southern Baptist Convention – said Muslim worshippers blocked him from the interfaith chapel at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also pursuing legal action against EPIC City, an Islam-centric development northeast of McKinney, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Residents have expressed concern about the complex, citing potential Sharia law.