Merry Christmas, Paki Style

When Mr. Wonderful gets back from Hawaii, maybe his Teleprompter can deliver another speech to the "Muslim world" and remind them that "tolerance" goes both ways. Maybe send a special shout-out to his peeps in Pakistan.

No Christmas decorations brighten the tent camp sheltering Christians left homeless by the worst violence against minorities in Pakistan this year. Instead, there is a pervasive sense of fear.

The Christians have received cell phone text messages warning them to expect a “special Christmas present,” they say, and are terrified of their tents being torched or their church services being bombed.

“Last year, I celebrated Christmas full of joy,” said Irfan Masih, cradling his young son among the canvas shelters and open ditches of the camp. But now, he said, “The fear that we may again be attacked is in our hearts.

“They are threatening us, [saying], 'We will again attack you and will not let you out of homes. We will burn you inside this time,' ” Masih said.

It was the fires that most traumatized Gojra’s Christian Colony, a neighborhood in the heart of this Punjabi city about 220 miles southwest of Islamabad. In early August, hundreds of Muslims rampaged through the dirt streets, looting and torching homes as panicked residents tried to flee and thick, black smoke rose into the air.

Eight Christians died — seven of them from one family trapped in a burning home.

“We are going to celebrate Christmas in sorrow because the whole family is hurt by this,” said Almas Hameed, whose father was shot dead during the riots. His wife, two of his children and members of his brother’s family all burned to death.

The attack, which officials said was incited by a banned radical Islamist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, followed rumors that Christians had torn pages of a Koran, an act considered sacrilegious by Muslims. The ensuing carnage drew condemnation from the Pope and Pakistan’s prime minister and highlighted how religious extremism has left the country’s minority groups increasingly vulnerable.

When Muslims perpetrate mass murder in this country we're always tut-tutted by the media about a pending "backlash" that nevers occurs. Funny how the media isn't concerned about the "image" of people who are rampaging and causing carnage against innocent Christians.