March 30, 2004

ERP KiM Newsletter 30-03-04
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They burned everything that was holy

Burn, demolish, destroy. The last orchestrated attack on Orthodox holy shrines was carried out by Albanian extremists according to their orders - thoroughly. In only two days 35 churches and monasteries were turned into ashes and dust. The final destruction of every trace of Orthodox Christianity in Kosovo was recorded by many world video and photo cameras but politicians again chose to turn their heads away.

St. George Cathedral burniing - Thousands of Kosovo Albanians set on fore all Serbian Orthodox churches in Prizren, including the Seminary and the Bishop's residence. Thousands of books, hundreds of icons and holy utensils disappeared in flames. German KFOR did not move a finger to protect the sites

Vecernje Novosti daily, Belgrade
March 24, 2004

By Goran Cvorovic
From our permanent correspondent

Burn, demolish, destroy. The last orchestrated attack on Orthodox holy shrines was carried out by Albanian extremists according to their orders - thoroughly. In only two days 35 churches and monasteries were turned into ashes and dust. The final destruction of every trace of Orthodox Christianity in Kosovo was recorded by many world video and photo cameras but politicians again chose to turn their heads away.

In addition to the 112 churches already destroyed or heavily damaged since the beginning of UNMIK's "peace keeping mission" in June of 1999, following the most recent tragic events, a total of over 130 Orthodox holy shrines have been destroyed.

Metohija, once the land of church estates (metoh), has been transformed by the Albanians into a flaming pyre. Only four monasteries still survive in Metohija. The tragedy is all the greater these objects, most of them hundreds of years of years old, are not under UNESCO protection.

Nevertheless, condemnations have been heard from this institution.

UNESCO director general Koďchiro Matsuura strongly condemned attacks on Kosovo's rich heritage. In a public communiqué he expressed "great concern over the events of the past few days in Kosovo and the surrounding region, which have provoked the loss of numerous human lives and damaged cultural and religious heritage".

"Beyond monuments and heritage, it is a memory and cultural identity that are being destroyed," Koďchiro Matsuura emphasized.

The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which is based in Paris, stated that "the international community is terribly shocked each time problems surface in the South East European region, endangering intercommunity dialogue that remains so fragile despite initiatives undertaken."

The UNESCO director general also called on the spirit of the Ochrid Declaration, which was upheld in 2003 by all regional heads of state, and in which the role of cultural heritage is emphasized as a powerful symbol of national identity and factor of reconciliation at the regional level.

The statement reminds that in 2003 the director general sent high level expert mission to Kosovo and Belgrade to determine the condition of monuments and propose an action plan for their preservation.

"Donors have already contacted our organization in order to finance a certain number of urgent operations recommended in this report, which will be made public shortly," says Koďchiro Matsuura.

Albanian attackers smashed the holy table in the sanctuary of the 14th century Devic monastery and desecrated the tomb of the patron saint - St. Joanikije of Devic.

MAROVIC'S LETTER

Dragoljub Najman, the Serbia-Montenegro ambassador to UNESCO, personally handed a letter from Serbia-Montenegro president Svetozar Marovic to UNESCO director general Koďchiro Matsuura in which the Serbian-Montenegrin president appeals to Matsuura to condemn the destruction of churches and monasteries in Kosovo, and to call on the international community to make efforts to protect the cultural heritage threatened with destruction.

In his letter to the UNESCO director general, Marovic appealed for a UNESCO mission as soon as the situation in Kosovo stabilizes to assess the damage resulting from the latest attacks and propose measures for the restoration and permanent protection of churches and monasteries.

The Serbia-Montenegro president advised Matsuura that the democratic community and all state officials of Serbia-Montenegro immediately condemned the acts of vandalism in which mosques in Nis and Belgrade were set on fire causing great damage to the democratic community of our country and its reputation.

COMMISSION

Matsuura agreed to send a new UNESCO team of experts to assess the new situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

The report of the expert team that visited Kosovo last year will be ready in few days and the introduction will be signed by Matsuura personally, ambassador Najman told us. /nk

Smashed holy table in the 14th century cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary of Lyevish, Prizren, many frescoes were also damaged by fire

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ERP KIM Info-Service is the official Information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska and Prizren and works with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Artemije.
Our Information Service is distributing news on Kosovo related issues. The main focus of the Info-Service is the life of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian community in the Province of Kosovo and Metohija. ERP KIM Info Service works in cooperation with www.serbian-translation.com as well as the Kosovo Daily News (KDN) News List

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