But any reference to Christ and His cross (and in my case that extends to making the sign of the holy cross) are considered to be in poor taste and superstitious/inappropriate.
The abstract concept of divinity can be comfortably tamed in our subjective mind - but the objective sacrifice and historical reality that is the love of Christ is more challenging to the complacent.
Allah is an abstract who can be used to justify anything - unlike Christ, a real God, who personally brings us face to face with suffering and glory.