AP story reports "days of rioting between Christians and Muslims" in eastern Pakistan, implying Christians could be running amok through Muslim neighborhoods, too, which hasn't been the case. Six Christians are dead, including four women and a child, traditional Islamist targets. Members of Sipah-e-Sahaba, the parent organization of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, accused Christians of desecrating the Koran in Gojra on Thursday, according to Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti. Bhatti sez the charge has been investigated and that there is no truth to it. He's asked cops to provide protection to Christians, which they don't seem to do without being asked. Nor do they do so when they are asked, since Bhatti admitted the cops ignored his orders as hundreds of turbans burned more Christian homes on Saturday.
While the situation had calmed down Friday, a fresh load of turbans came into town Saturday to throw some gasoline on the fire. Local media said gunfights have broken out between the Christian and Muslim communities and that rioters had blocked the local railway line, likely to prevent reinforcements or troops being brought in.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said investigations of the defaced Koran had been disproven, as is usually the case and invariably in Pakistain. That's not to say that evidence isn't being manufactured even as we