|
NEWSLETTER
No 27
| 
Instead
of confession Rugova requests from the Pope anti-Serb alliance!
(photo: Mr. Rugova with the Pope amidst the scenes of destroyed
Serbian Orthodox churches and desecrated Christian cemeteries
in Kosovo
EDITORIAL
BY FR. SAVA JANJIC, December 24, 2003
ERP
KIM Info-service
Rugova
woos to Vatican in order to hide Kosovo's bleak reality
During
his recent visit to the Vatican Kosovo (Albanian) President
Ibrahim Rugova
requested support for Kosovo's independence from the Pope John
Paul II. The attempt to draw Pope John Paul II himself into
his plans for the secession of Kosovo and Metohija further complicates
the already complex situation in the southern province of Serbia
and seriously jeopardizes already fragile interreligious relations.
Although
he has never publicly condemned destruction of more than 100
Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo after the end of armed conflict
in 1999 and never visited any Orthodox church in the Province
(in which, by the way, more than 90% of the cultural-historical
heritage belongs to Serbian Orthodox tradition) Ibrahim Rugova
persistently tries to involve the Roman Catholic Church in his
political machinations. His trump card is the tiny Roman Catholic
community in Kosovo led by Bishop Marko Sopi who under pressure
of Moslem majority refused to participate in the R. Catholic
Bishops' Conference of Serbia and Montenegro, to which Kosovo
officially belonged, and requested his "diocese" to
be under special jurisdiction of the Holy See. (FULL
TEXT)
Communique of the Council for Kosovo and Metohija of the Holy
Synod of Bishops
Information
Service of the
Serbian Orthodox Church
Belgrade, December 23, 2003
The Council for Kosovo and Metohija of the Holy Synod of Bishops
of the Serbian Orthodox Church, chaired by His Holiness the
Serbian Patriarch Kyr Pavle, met on December 23/10 [according
to the Gregorian and Julian calendars, respectively], 2003 in
the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade, and deliberated the latest
conditions in the southern Serbian Province. The Council ascertained
that the state of life security, human rights, freedom of movement
and work, Serb returns, protection of the Church and people's
Holy Shrines and property has remained unchanged, regrettably
in the negative sense, during these more than four years that
Kosovo and Metohija has been under the administration of the
International Community.
The Council
shares the great concern of the Serb community and the Serbian
Church in Kosovo and Metohija as a result of the imposition
of UNMIK's standards for Kosovo and Metohija (without acceptance
of the Serbian positions on those standards), which completely
ignore [UN] Security Council 1244 and pave the way for the complete
Albanization and secession of Kosovo and Metohija, thus opening
a Pandora's box of further expansion of the ultranationalistic
idea of a "Greater Albania" which, if realized in
phases, would bring lasting instability and unavoidable conflicts
throughout most of the Balkans and in Europe. The Serb side
in Kosovo and Metohija is asking for clearly measurable and
concretely verifiable achievements and a timetable for their
implementation, not just for declarative "standards".
This means, first and foremost, the effective realization of
the return of expelled and displaced persons to Kosovo and Metohija
comprising no less than two-thirds of the total. Furthermore,
the Council demands respect for individual, human, national
and property rights, the protection of the Church and people's,
and cultural heritage of the Serbian people and the Republic
of Serbia, the return of illegally usurped property, the re-examination
of the speeded up process of privatization, etc.
The Council
reminds that the Serbian Orthodox Church has published its "Memorandum
on Kosovo and Metohija", a document humane, honorable and
presented in Christian fashion on the real problem of Kosovo
and Metohija. The "Memorandum" is supported by the
Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija, the Republic of Serbia
and the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as by
respected and wise individuals in Europe and the world.
The Council
also reminds that the Republic of Serbia has presented its "Declaration
on Kosovo and Metohija", which has been supported by the
Serbian Church as well as by the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
The Joint Coordinating Center of Serbia-Montenegro and the Republic
of Serbia led by Mr. Nebojsa Covic has just issued a Resolution
on the Protection of Serbian National Interests and Rights of
the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija (consisting of
seven points and dated December 17, 2003), which has received
the support of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija,
and consequently also has the support of this Council.
For, as
the Bishop of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija Kyr Artemije
stated:
"The
Serb people in this region desire a free and dignified life
but cannot accept, in exchange for Serbia's sovereignty, offers
of abstract 'minority rights' in a society Kosovo Albanians
are tailoring exclusively according to their needs and interests.
The document 'Standards for Kosovo', which does not mention
the sovereignty of Serbia and Montenegro and the essential elements
of UN Security Council 1244, fundamentally prejudices the secession
of the southern Serbian province and as such must be urgently
revised in order to be acceptable for the Serbian side, too.
"The
claim of some international and domestic 'preachers' that Serbia
with Kosovo and Metohija cannot be a part of Europe and the
world is untrue and tendentious. In fact, it is without Kosovo
and Metohija, and with the open process of territorial disintegration
which the secession of the southern province would inevitable
entail, that Serbia would commit her historical suicide and
the Serbian people would lose its deepest historical roots,
which represent the foundation of its religious and national
being."
The Council
of the Holy Synod of Bishop is astounded by the partiality of
responsible factors of the International Community toward the
Albanian community in Kosovo and Metohija. Through their behavior,
they are ignoring the Serbs and other people and communities
that have lived there for centuries. The Council is also concerned
by UNMIK's inactivity with respect to shedding light on numerous
crimes (especially the murder and kidnapping of Serbs and others),
as well as the destruction and desecration of Serbian Church
and people's Holy Shrines (the latest instances of renewed desecration
of the church in Susica, attacks on the church in Pristina and
a bomb explosion in the church in Urosevac).
The Council
also notes with regret that there is increasingly greater anti-Serb
and anti-Orthodox activity on the part of the Roman Catholic
Church in Kosovo and Metohija, through which Ibrahim Rugova
is attempting to draw Pope John Paul II himself into his plans
for the secession of Kosovo and Metohija, thus further complicating
the already complex issue of Kosovo and Metohija.
The Council
for Kosovo and Metohija appeals to responsible persons in the
International Community, concretely, to UN high representative
Mr. Holkeri but also to the United Nations and the Security
Council, to demonstrate their fundamental human honor, impartiality
and humaneness to all residents of Kosovo and Metohija equally,
and that they refrain by their hasty solutions from making the
tragedy of Kosovo and Metohija even more difficult today, in
the near future and long term; therefore, that they do not impose
unilateral and unjust solutions that will become a source of
new and unforeseeable unrest and inhumanity in this region.
On the eve
of parliamentary elections in Serbia, the Council of the Serbian
Orthodox Church appeals to the conscience and conscientiousness
of all political parties in Serbia, as well as in Kosovo and
Metohija, that in fighting for a democratic and free Serbia
in Europe and the world they under no circumstances succumb
to proposals or threats; that they refuse to accept a Serbia
crippled without Kosovo and Metohija; that they subordinate
their party interests to the interests of the People and the
Fatherland; that they do not manipulate the unfortunate Serbs
in Kosovo and Metohija nor displaced Kosovans scattered throughout
Serbia; that they remain at the level of the Kosovo oath, in
the name of which the great leader Karadjordje began the liberation
of Serbia two centuries ago.
We call
our brothers and children in oft crucified but always resurrected
Kosovo and Metohija to peace and harmony, to love and humanity
toward all, wishing them even in this difficult situation in
which they await Christmas and the New Year, the joy of the
shepherds of Bethlehem and the light of the Star of Bethlehem
of the Divine Refugee sheltered in a cave - Christ the Savior
of every human being, all peoples and all of creation. |
Toys
and freedom
(photo:
Kosovo Serbs received toys from an Italian Carabinieri in the
village of Gornja Brnjica in northern Kosovo on Sunday, Dec.
21, 2003. Italian Carabinieri delivered Christmas gifts that
were donated by the Charivaris Diocese in Genova, Italy.)
 On
the occasion of the forthcomming Christmas holidays Italian
Carabinieri delivered gifts to Serb children in central Kosovo
enclave village of Gornja Brnjica. The gifts awere donated by
the Charivaris Diocese in Genova, Italy.
Despite
this wonderful gesture of solidarity and love of the Italian
people the tragic reality in which Kosovo Serb children live
today continues. For more than four years young Kosovo Serbs,
many of whom, had to leave their homes in major cities and find
refuge in the neighboring village enclaves do have not known
the joys of childhood.
All they know is that they cannot go to their old schools, walk
along streets they used to walk, go to hospitals and live the
ordinary life of other children in Europe - just because they
are not Albanians but Serbs. The irony is even worse because
the Province in which all this happens officially belongs to
Serbia and Montenegro in which Serbs are majority population.
However their country is not able to help them and change the
rule of ethnic discrimination which permeates all spheres of
Kosovo's everyday life. The Province is the only territory in
Europe today where rights of others are so brutally denied and
endangered only because of their ethnicity, Christian religion
and language.
Young Serbs and their parents cannot understand that in four
years no Kosovo Albanian group, youth organization or political
party ever publicly expressed their protest with such treatment
of non-Albanians. All they can see from KFOR transporters or
buses in which they travel that any sign in Serbian is obliterated
by black spray and that it is dangerous to leave the vehicles
because they can be killed or beaten.
In
the forthcoming Christmas holidays again we remember those who
are the greatest victims in post-war Kosovo and the tragedy
of which continues despite presence of the UN Mission and KFOR.
|
| Many
Kosovo Serbs will not be celebrating Christmas in their homes
this year either
Serbian
Unity Congress (U.S), ERP KiM Info-Service
December 2003
 Breaking
with the centuries old tradition of celebrating the Nativity
of Christ in the cradle of Serbian civilization and the historic
seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Kosovo Serbs for the fifth
consecutive Christmas remain either displaced outside the province
and unable to return, or restricted to isolated islands within,
lacking basic freedoms fundamental to life such as movement.
During this the most joyous of seasons, Kosovo Serbs driven
from the province worship far away from their homes hoping desperately
for a return, while the few Serbs who remain within will worship
fearfully under strict KFOR protection gradually losing hope
in any equitable peace.
As
you gather to celebrate this holiday season, traveling freely
from home to home visiting your loved ones, remember those who
cannot. Keep in mind the Kosovo Serbs among them those who have
perished, those whose struggle is survival, and those who continue
to light the way and gleam hope into the hearts of others. |
| Bishop
Artemije: We do not need "minority rights" in exchange
for Serbia's sovereignty in Kosovo and Metohija
Communiqué of Diocese of Raska-Prizren
and Kosovo-Metohija following the appeal of Coordinating Center
for Kosovo and Metohija head Dr. Nebojsa Covic
Serbian Orthodox Diocese
of
Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija
Press
Release
Gracanica
Monastery, December 18, 2003
The Diocese
of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija firmly supports yesterday's
appeal by Coordinating Center for Kosovo and Metohija president
Dr. Nebojsa Covic, which he addressed to all political parties
participating in elections for the Serbian parliament and election
list primaries, calling on them to sign the Resolution on the
Protection of Serbian National Interests and Rights of the Republic
of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija.
The proposed
text of the Resolution with its seven articles is a document
around which all political factors in Serbia should rally and
unite, thus sending a clear message to the domestic and global
community that the development of democratic processes in Serbia
is not equivalent to the territorial cutting up of her state
territory and renunciation of Kosovo and Metohija but their
preservation as an inalienable part of Serbia.
The Serb
people in this region desire a free and dignified life but cannot
accept, in exchange for Serbia's sovereignty, offers of abstract
"minority rights" in a society Kosovo Albanians are
tailoring exclusively according to their needs and interests.
The document "Standards for Kosovo", which does not
mention the sovereignty of Serbia and Montenegro and the essential
elements of UN Security Council 1244, fundamentally prejudices
the secession of the southern Serbian province and as such must
be urgently revised in order to be acceptable for the Serbian
side, too.
The claim
of some international and domestic "preachers" that
Serbia with Kosovo and Metohija cannot be a part of Europe and
the world is untrue and tendentious. In fact, it is without
Kosovo and Metohija, and with the open process of territorial
disintegration which the secession of the southern province
would inevitable entail, that Serbia would commit her historical
suicide and the Serbian people would lose its deepest historical
roots, which represent the foundation of its religious and national
being.
After all
these difficult wartime and post-war years, it is completely
clear that if the Albanian nationalists realize their dream
of an independent and Albanian Kosovo, the long-term survival
of the Serbian people and preservation of our legitimate cultural
and historical rights in this region will be impossible. The
battle for the preservation of state sovereignty and the establishment
of a just society for all citizens of the Province, regardless
of their ethnic or religious affiliation, is therefore the only
path to preserving the multiethnicity of Kosovo and Metohija
as an integral part of a democratic and multiethnic Republic
of Serbia and state union of Serbia and Montenegro.
Therefore,
the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija strongly appeals
to all political parties participating in the upcoming elections
for the Serbian Parliament to demonstrate their national and
political responsibility before their citizens and, regardless
of existing political differences, to sign the proposed Resolution.
We also call on the signatories of the Resolution to remain
true to the principles they have publicly upheld and confirm
their words with appropriate actions when, in the near future,
they become members of the new Serbian Parliament.
Let us show
the world that Serbs know how to unite on issues of vital interest
of the people and the state! Let us show that the future of
Serbia, the state union of Serbia and Montenegro and the entire
Balkans does not lie in the creation of an ethnically pure Albanian
Kosovo and further destruction of its Christian heritage, which
represents the foundation of European civilization and culture.
To the same
extent that we ourselves respect our state and its sovereignty,
we will be respected by the entire democratic world as a serious
state based on law.
+ARTEMIJE
Bishop of Raska-Prizren and
Kosovo-Metohija |
| L'Espresso
(It): In Kosovo the Orthodox Church is under siege
In
Kosovo today, the Orthodox Serbs are a besieged and endangered
minority. Of the roughly 250,000 who fled following NATO's military
intervention, only a few thousand have returned. Together with
the 130,000 who remained, they are herded in restricted zones
and kept under constant threat. Power rests in the hands of
the Muslim Kosovar Albanians. The future status of the region
is uncertain.
Original text in
Italian:
http://213.92.16.98/ESW_articolo/0,2393,41994,00.html
English translation
http://213.92.16.98/ESW_articolo/0,2393,41995,00.html
or
http://www.balkanpeace.org/hed/archive/dec03/hed6151.shtml
L'Espresso (Italy), December 16, 2003
by Sandro Magister
To
worldwide indifference, more than one hundred churches have
already been assaulted and destroyed. Others are defended by
NATO soldiers. The role of the Vatican and the growth of Islamic
extremism
(photo:
For more than four years Decani Monastery monks can travel only
under KFOR escort)
 ROMA
- During the last week of November, two more Orthodox Christian
churches were attacked and damaged in Kosovo - in Gornja Brnjica,
and in Susica. Neither was protected by KFOR, the military force
under NATO command that maintains order in the region.
Since the war ended with the defeat of the Serbs in 1999, more
than one hundred Orthodox holy places have been assaulted and
destroyed in Kosovo, many of them going back to the 13th and
14th centuries. Earlier, while the Serbian army of Slobodan
Milosevic had control of the region, it is calculated that 212
of the 560 Muslim mosques in the area were damaged or razed.
In Kosovo today, the Orthodox Serbs are a besieged and endangered
minority. Of the roughly 250,000 who fled following NATO's military
intervention, only a few thousand have returned. Together with
the 130,000 who remained, they are herded in restricted zones
and kept under constant threat. Power rests in the hands of
the Muslim Kosovar Albanians. The future status of the region
is uncertain. Formally, Kosovo remains an autonomous province
of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, but resolution 1244
of the United Nations defining its status also refers to the
Rambouillet accords of 1999, which appeal to the principle of
self-determination of peoples in outlining the definitive arrangement
of the area. And the overwhelming Albanian majority has enlisted
this point in its bid for independence.
The
destruction of Christian churches is part of this plan - or,
at least, that's what the local Orthodox community fears. "Either
destruction, or transformation into museums," specifies
Fr. Sava Janjic, vice-prior of the monastery of Decani.
This monastery
is one of the masterpieces of medieval art in Kosovo, an historic
cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy. It is occupied by 35 monks, many
of whom have entered during the last twelve years, in a complete
rebirth of monastic life. During the war, they were lavish in
their defense of the Kosovar Albanians, threatened with ethnic
cleansing by Slobodan Milosevic's army. But today, it is the
monks who are under constant threat. The Italian soldiers of
KFOR ensure the defense of the monastery. The monks may not
venture beyond the security fence to visit their faithful unless
they are accompanied by an armed escort. The condition of the
other 25 monasteries and churches under KFOR protection is similar.
Among the most precious holy places - and the ones most at risk
- are the patriarchate of Pec, the monastery of Gracanica, and
the cathedral of the Mother of God of Ljevisa, in Prizren.
(photo:
Christian churches under constant protection from Muslim Albanian
extremists, Budisavci)
 Artemjie,
the bishop of Raska and Prizren, the highest Orthodox authority
in Kosovo, laments "the inexplicable silence of Christian
and democratic Europe in the face of such grave crimes committed
against a Christian and European people, which the Serbian people
is." And he accuses the Vatican of having been "amply
implicated in the events" that produced the current situation.
Fr. Sava
specifies that an authentic smear campaign has been unleashed
against the Serbian Church: "The schools teach the theory
that we did not build most of the Orthodox holy places in Kosovo,
but that Roman Catholic Church did, and that they do not belong
to us."
There
are approximately 65,000 Catholics in Kosovo. "We have
excellent relations with the Muslims, and the government treats
us well," a spokesman for the apostolic administration
of Prizen told the Norwegian news agency for religious liberty
"Forum 18."
But
there is a more disquieting reality behind these words. All
throughout Kosovo, new mosques and Koranic schools financed
by Saudi Arabia are springing up, and the influence of the Islamist
currents is growing.
This
is confirmed by the dangers incurred by Muslims who convert
to Christianity.
These
dangers were almost nonexistent in the past. Islam is generally
weakly rooted in the Albanian population, and is accompanied
by weak social controls.
But
now extremist groups have appeared. And life has become difficult
for those who convert. Last May 11, in Gnjilane, a convert was
brutally beaten and threatened with death as a "traitor."
The
ones most targeted are the converts to the evangelical Churches,
which are the most active in the missions. Many of the newly
baptized are forced to keep their conversion hidden even from
their loved ones.
The
Catholic Church has chosen to keep a low profile and not to
proselytize, and thus it feels Islamic pressure less. The moderate
Muslim leader Ibrahim Rugova recently said that he has come
to know the Catholic faith better and that he respects it a
great deal. |
Fr. Miron in
front of the Urosevac Serbian Orthodox church which was
attacked by Albanian extremists last Friday evening
Fr.
Miron: We respond to Albanian grenades with prayer and firm
determination to remain at home
The
Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija "responded"
to the bomb attack two days ago on the Church of St. Uros in
Urosevac with Holy Liturgy served today, on the patron saint's
day of the Holy Emperor Uros, in the church.
ERP KiM Info-service
Gracanica, December 15, 2003
The Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija "responded"
to the bomb attack two days ago on the Church of St. Uros in
Urosevac with Holy Liturgy served today, on the patron saint's
day of the Holy Emperor Uros, in the church.
With
the blessing of Bishop Artemije Holy Liturgy was served by Fr.
Miron Kosac with the monks of Holy Archangels Monastery near
Prizren. After Holy Liturgy and the cutting of the "Slava
cake", the monks visited the commander of the Greek KFOR
contingent whose soldiers guard the Church of St. Uros and five
other partially damaged Serbian Orthodox churches in their zone
of responsibility around the clock. The Greek soldiers regularly
clean the inside of the Church of St. Uros, washing the floors
and windows. "It is truly amazing to see the care the Greek
soldiers have shown toward this church," said Fr. Miron.
Greek
members of KFOR also take care of the last 17 elderly Serbs
remaining in Urosevac. They are under constant military protection
of Greek soldiers, who also provide them with one meal a day,
heating and regular medical care. The remaining Serbs in Urosevac
are also cared for by the NGO "Majka Jugovica" headed
by presbytera Svetlana Stevic, as well as by the medical team
of the "Simonida Health Center" in Gracanica.
The
Greek Commander Ltc. P. Bromis told the representatives of the
Diocese with pride that the construction of Serb houses in the
nearby village of Babljak, which was torched by Albanian
extremists in the summer of 1999 and the entire Serbian population
expelled, had already begun and that they will be ready
for moving in by next summer when the return of expelled persons
to the village, and probably to other parts of Urosevac municipality,
too, is expected.
On
behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church Fr. Miron thanked the
Greek KFOR for their efforts and concern for the remaining Serbs
in Urosevac and the Orthodox cathedral of St. Uros conveying
warmest blessings for the forthcoming Christmas holidays from
Bishop Artemije.
A scene captured by Holy Archangel Monks
in front of St. Uros church
During the service the area was heavily guarded by armored vehicles
and additional police forces |
| Devic
Monastery celebrates patron saint's day of St. Joanikije in
the heart of Drenica
The
monastery patron saint's day of St. Joanikije of Devic the Miracle
Worker was celebrated today in the monastery of Devic near Srbica
now called by Muslim Albanians "Skenderaj". After
the Holy Liturgy, which was served by Metropolitan Amfilohije
of Montenegro and the Littoral and Bishop Artemije of Raska
and Prizren and clergy and the cutting of the slava cake, Metropolitan
Amfilohije addressed the numerous believers who arrived at the
monastery, in the heart of Drenica, with a KFOR escort
to celebrate the Lord and his great chosen servant, Joanikije
(Janicije) of Devic.
Kosovo is our
Jerusalem and against those who want to
drive us away and destroy our shrines we will resist with Christian
faith and prayer
Bishops Amfilohije and Artemije at the traditional cutting of
"Slava cake"
after the Holy Liturgy in Devic Monastery
ERP
KiM Info-service
Gracanica, December 15, 2003
(photo:
Bishop Artemije distributes gifts to children at Devic Monastery.
Thanks to KFOR and police escort the Orthodox faithful, mostly
form North Kosovo attended the celebration)
 The
monastery patron saint's day of St. Joanikije of Devic the Miracle
Worker was celebrated today in the monastery of Devic near Srbica,
now called by Muslim Albanians "Skenderaj". After
the Holy Liturgy, which was served by Metropolitan Amfilohije
of Montenegro and the Littoral and Bishop Artemije of Raska
and Prizren and clergy and the cutting of the slava cake, Metropolitan
Amfilohije addressed the numerous believers who arrived at the
monastery, in the heart of Drenica, with a KFOR escort
to celebrate the Lord and his great chosen servant, Joanikije
(Janicije) of Devic.
Metropolitan
Amfilohije with special words encouraged the abbess of Devic,
Mother Anastasija, and the sisters who since 1998 have lived
in complete isolation and under constant threat by Albanian
extremists because the area around the monastery is known as
a Mecca of KLA hardliners. In June 1999 members of the KLA broke
into the monastery and looted it. If Fr. Radivoje Panic (now
serving at the Church of St. Aleksandar Nevski in Belgrade)
and the abbess of Sokolica Monastery, Mother Macaria, had not
arrived at the last moment with French KFOR troops, the Albanian
extremists would have completely destroyed the monastery and
killed the sisterhood. Since then the monastery has been under
the constant military protection of KFOR
According
to tradition Devic Monastery was built by George Brankovich
in the 15th century, after the Devic miracle worker Joanikije,
who for some time had lived in a hollow tree not far away, cured
his daughter. In World War II Albanian Nazi collaborators (Balli
Combetar) burned the monastery to the ground but after the war
it was resurrected from the ashes by the nuns and the late Abbess
Paraskeva. To this day the monastery houses the grave of the
saint, where numerous miracles and cures have taken place. The
nuns of Devic are determined: "Ever since arriving in this
monastery as a young girl to today we have fought a battle to
preserve this holy shrine. We are certain that God and our Patron
Saint will give us the strength to endure to the end,"
said Mother Anastasija.
More about Devic Monastery and the life of Devic nuns:
/edevic.html
|
A
Serb woman severely beaten in ethnically mixed part of North
Mitrovica
Zlata
Djurovic's condition presently stable but uncertain
The
second attack in a row on Serbs in the mixed part of North Mitrovica
has caused unrest among them, and they have asked KFOR officials
to either ensure their peace and security or to return their
confiscated weapons. UNMIK police commander in North Mitrovica
John Napolitano (sp?) said that the attack on the two elderly
Serb women was "a horrible act". He informed the frightened
Serbs that "there is evidence regarding the perpetrator
of the attack and that all suspects will be questioned during
the course of the day". The municipal board of the Democratic
Alternative in North Mitrovica condemned the attack on Zlata
Djurovic, emphasizing that "this is the last reminder to
members of KFOR and UNMIK police in the region to reinforce
security measures and protect the representatives of the Serbian
community".
Beta
News Agency, Belgrade
December 14, 2003
KOSOVSKA
MITROVICA - The medical condition of Zlata Djurovic (52), the
Serb woman beaten last night in her home in Northern Mitrovica,
is stable but the further course of treatment is uncertain,
Mitrovica Hospital physician Dr. Trajko Bogeski told Beta news
agency today.
The
uncertainty in the treatment of Zlata Djurovic is a result of
the fact that she sustained serious injuries to the head, which
were inflicted upon her by a yet unidentified attacker.
Dr.
Bogeski said that the woman had a broken bone in the region
of the nape of the neck, as well as multiple wounds to the head,
adding that the injuries have been treated but that does not
exclude the possibility of further complications.
Zlata
Djurovic conveyed to a Beta reporter that she was attacked while
she was getting ready to go to sleep.
"Suddenly
an unknown man flew through the door of the house. His head
was covered by a black cloth. He said nothing; he immediately
began to hit me in the head. After the third blow, I fell,"
said Djurovic.
Her
80 year-old mother cried for help and a few minutes later their
neighbors in the Microsettlement (Mikronaselje), a nationally
mixed quarter in North Mitrovica, ran to their assistance.
Zlata
Djurovic said that she had offended no one, that she and her
mother lived on social assistance, and that she knows no reason
why she would be a target of attack.
The
second attack in a row on Serbs in the mixed part of North Mitrovica
has caused unrest among them, and they have asked KFOR officials
to either ensure their peace and security or to return their
confiscated weapons.
UNMIK
police commander in North Mitrovica John Napolitano (sp?) said
that the attack on the two elderly Serb women was "a horrible
act". He informed the frightened Serbs that "there
is evidence regarding the perpetrator of the attack and that
all suspects will be questioned during the course of the day".
The
municipal board of the Democratic Alternative in North Mitrovica
condemned the attack on Zlata Djurovic, emphasizing that "this
is the last reminder to members of KFOR and UNMIK police in
the region to reinforce security measures and protect the representatives
of the Serbian community".
|
Explosion
in the yard of the St. Uros church in Urosevac
Diocese
of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija most strongly condemns
Friday night's attack on the St. Uros church in Urosevac. The
Diocese concludes with regret that attacks by Albanian extremists
on holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija are continuing. Since
the summer of 1999 to the present day there have already been
several similar attacks on this holy shrine. If the Church of
St. Uros had not been under the constant protection of KFOR
it is likely that it would have been destroyed like the other
Serbian Orthodox churches in the Urosevac and Nerodimlje region.
Gracanica,
December 14, 2003
The
Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija most strongly condemns
the Friday night's attack on the Church of the Holy Emperor
Uros in Urosevac..
According
to a statement by an official representative of KFOR an unidentified
person threw a hand grenade into the yard of the Serbian Orthodox
Church of St. Uros in Urosevac lon Friday evening, at approximately
20,00 hours. The grenade fell near the Greek KFOR checkpoint
manned by two soldiers; fortunately, no one was injured and
apparently there is no damage to the church. The explosion damaged
a KFOR vehicle parked in front of the church. The Kosovo Police
Service (KPS) is conducting further investigation.
The
Diocese concludes with regret that attacks by Albanian extremists
on holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija are continuing. Since
the summer of 1999 to the present day there have already been
several similar attacks on this holy shrine. If the Church of
St. Uros had not been under the constant protection of KFOR
it is likely that it would have been destroyed like the other
Serbian Orthodox churches in the Urosevac and Nerodimlje region.
The
Diocese would like to express its sincere gratitude to members
of Greek KFOR for their dedication and efforts to protect this
church, as well as for the care they have shown for the several
elderly remaining Serbs who still live in Urosevac, confined
to their homes for the past more than four years.
The
Church of St. Uros was built between 1929 and 1933, and is one
of the most beautiful Serbian Orthodox churches built between
the two world wars in Kosovo and Metohija. The church once
possessed a rich collection of icons and a valuable carved wooden
iconostasis (altar screen) from the 19th century. In June 1999
Kodobo Albanian extremists broke into the church and looted
and destroyed a part of the internal furnishings, setting a
fire that damaged the iconostasis and icons. Nearby graves and
monumental plates dedicated to soldiers in the Balkan wars (1912-13)
have also been desecrated. Since the summer of 1999 the church
has been under the permanent protection of KFOR forces.
A
delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church will visit the church
during the following week and serve the holy Liturgy.
For
more information on the church, please see the publication Crucified
Kosovo:
/ckos/ckos18.jpg
We
are enclosing two official reports on this incident:
KFOR
Report, December 13, 2003
A
grenade exploded at the church at the op5 fixed site in Urosevac.
The grenade, identified as an Albanian f1 hand grenade, exploded
approximately 10 meters from the front steps of the church.
The two KFOR soldiers manning the site witnessed an unidentified
male walk by and throw the grenade. The explosion caused no
injuries and only minor damage to the guard shack on the site.
The church was not damaged. TF MP, 506th Mech, US EOD, and KPS/UNMIK
police responded. The area was secured and US EOD cleared the
scene. KPS is currently investigating the incident.
UNMIK
Police report, December 13, 2003
ATTACK
WITH EXPLOSIVE
Urosevac - 12/12 - 2000 hrs. KFOR reported that a hand grenade
exploded inside the churchyard. Explosion resulted to the broken
glass window of a vehicle parked besides the church. No injury
was reported.
|
| Serb
returnees barely escape lynching in attempt to return to their
homes in Kosovo
Klina Albanians marked
International Human Rights Day by expelling 11 Serb returnees
who arrived into an empty Serb-owned house with the intent of
returning to their native town and reclaiming their usurped
property
ERP
KiM Info-Service
Gracanica, December 10, 2003
An
attempt of a group of displaced Kosovo Serbs to return to their
homes in Klina today ended in an attack of ethnic Albanian mob
and their dramatic evacuation from the town with the assistance
of KFOR. The Serbs were returned to the nearby Serbian village
of Bicha where a group of 26 Serb men and women have been waiting
for more than three weeks for permission of UNMIK and local
Albanian authorities to return to their homes.
According
to ERP KIM sources, this afternoon a group of 11 men out of
26 Serb returnees arrived by foot from Bicha to Klina town,
7 km away, and moved in an empty Serb house of Petko Pesic in
order to prepare the house for the arrival of the others in
the near future. Petko Pesic, the leader of the group, explained
to the ErP KiM info-Service that the arrival of Serb returnees
this morning was not unannounced and that it had been previously
agreed with the UNMIK office for returns and the local civil
administrator. "However at the meeting which we had immediately
upon our arrival they told us that they cannot guarantee our
security and requested from us to return to Bicha village",
said Mr. Pesic.
Soon
after the arrival of Serb returnees several hundred angry Albanians
encircled the house with the Serb returnees inside, using threats
and curses to insist on the Serbs' immediate departure from
the town.
According
to Petko Pesic, one of the Serbs evacuated by KFOR from Klina,
the Albanians laid a real siege to his home. "There were
a few hundred of them and they were exceptionally aggressive,"
said Pesic. Seeing that the unprotected civilians were about
to be lynched, KFOR responded quickly. According to eyewitnesses,
KFOR and Kosovo police officers showed up on the scene to secure
the evacuation of the house. As the Serbs were leaving the house
the Albanians began to stone the Serbs and the KFOR vehicles.
Under the shower of rocks one Serb man, Miodrag Mazic, sustained
minor injuries. While the convoy of KFOR vehicles was leaving
Klina they were also stoned on several locations but there were
no injured.
Neither
KFOR nor UNMIK police have still not issued an official statement
on the event. This is the first instance of a group return by
Serbian returnees to an urban setting in Kosovo and Metohija
since June 1999.
Co-minister
Todorovic: The Incident shows how illusory is the verbal support
for returns by Albanian leaders
According
to a Beta news agency report, repatriation co-minister in the
Kosovo government Milorad Todorovic, a Serb, said that the Albanian
mob that gathered around the house with the a group of Serb
returnees "shows how illusory is the verbal support for
returns by Albanian leaders". "[Invitations to return]
have nothing to do with the situation on the ground, where the
members of the same political parties as those leaders are obstructing
returns in a very practical and effective way," Todorovic
told Beta News Agency.
Reportedly
the head of the UNMIK office for returns Peggy Hicks tried several
times to influence local Albanian leaders through Kosovo premier
Rexhepi (pronounced Rejepi) and president Rugova in order to
stop the violence against the Serbs; however, the town was in
a state of collective hysteria. According to the latest information
from Klina, talks between UNMIK officials, and Albanian party
leaders and local government officials are in progress and will
be resumed tomorrow. Serb returnees have reiterated their firm
intention to return to their homes and their right to protection
in doing so.
According
to local Serb sources from Bicha and eyewitness statements,
the KFOR and UNMIK police presence throughout the Klina area
has been visibly reinforced following today's incident.
Serbian
Orthodox Church Condemns attack on Serb returnees
The
Diocese of Raska and Prizren strongly condemns attack of Albanian
mob on unprotected Serb returnees, which occurred (paradoxically)
on International Human Rights Day. This unfortunate event, orchestrated
by local representatives of institutions headed by the local
ethnic Albanian mayor Mr. Manaj (LDK party), best demonstrates
the lack of readiness on the part of Albanian leaders to implement
in practice what they say in their public speeches.
In
a statement for the ERP KIM Info Service, Bishop Artemije once
again appealed to UNMIK and Albanian institutions to "stop
manipulating the public and finally turn from words to actions".
"These people have returned and they should be provided
with basic human rights, including at the very least the right
to move into their homes, from which they had to flee in 1999,
and to be able to live a dignified, peaceful and secure life."
"Is
it not indicative that on the first day of promotion of Kosovo
Standards Implementation Plan Kosovo Albanians in practice show
that they deny the basic human rights to their Serbian neighbors",
Bishop concluded in his statement.
UNMIK
requested KFOR not to get involved in return process
In
this entire matter, the ERP KIM is especially concerned by information
received from a source close to UNMIK according to which Peggy
Hicks, the head of the UNMIK office for returns, has openly
requested the KFOR commander general Kammerhoff for KFOR not
get involved in Serb returns nor assist returnees without explicit
consent from UNMIK HQ. It is a well-known fact that it is only
through the engagement of KFOR and the Coordinating Center for
Kosovo and Metohija that Serbs were able to return to Belo Polje
near Pec this summer.
According
to many displaced Serbs desiring to return, if it is solely
up to UNMIK and Mrs. Hicks, Serbs will not return to their homes
in Kosovo and Metohija for the next 200 years. Local Serbs say
that they still have the most confidence in KFOR and request
that KFOR provides their security and not succumb to political
pressures of UNMIK and some individuals who obstruct the process
of returns.
|
Serbian
Orthodox Church expresses regret
for the Mitrovica incident
Gracanica,
December 8, 2003
Serbian
Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija expresses its profound
regret for the incident in Mitrovica in which one member of
the World bank delegation was slightly injured. This was an
irresponsible reaction of a group of individuals and it is not
supported by the majority of Kosovo Serb population in North
Mitrovica.
It is, of course, the right of Kosovo's PM to visit any part
of the Province, but it would be much better if that right were
enjoyed by all inhabitants of the Province despite of their
ethnicity. For years Serbs from North Mitrovica cannot normally
go to the southern part of the city where many of them once
lived. At the same time the Serbs all over the Province remain
under severe ethnic discrimination in access to public institutions
(hospitals, schools), let alone restaurants.
Such unannounced appearances of the ethnic Albanian PM with
his security, many of which used to be the members of the KLA,
in the Northern part of the city, regrettably add more oil to
the fire of interethnic tensions. Reconciliation is built on
equal standards all over Kosovo Province. We can only imagine
what would happen if the PM of Serbia, to which Kosovo officially
belongs, decided to have a lunch in Pec or Pristina, unannounced.
Instead of provoking problems for political purposes politicians
should rather avoid any act that might further destabilize fragile
"peace" between ethnic communities in Kosovo and Metohija.
|
Newsletter
05 December, 2003
Exclusive
interview of Fr. Sava Janjic to the Belgrade daily DANAS (Today)
- An Introduction to the revision of the UN Security Council
Resolution 1244
 "Autonomy
can exist only in relation to a broader entity, not as an independent
whole or an artificial para-state, which is in fact what
UNMIK has created in Kosovo and Metohija in the past five years.
Accepting the draft plan for implementation of standards without
this essential provision of Resolution 1244, as a result of
which Slobodan Milosevic agreed to an end of the conflict with
NATO, prejudices the final status of the Province, which
is contrary to the UN Security Council document. Through
the gradual transfer of competencies from UNMIK to provisional
Kosovo institutions (PISG) without any ties with appropriate
Serbian institutions the survival of Kosovo and Metohija within
Serbia and Montenegro is becoming an abstraction, and with the
increasing passage of time a practical impossibility."
The
text in Serbian is available at the DANAS daily site:
http://www.danas.co.yu/20031205/terazije1.html#
===============================================================
Why
the UN mission is hiding the real situation in Kosovo and Metohija
from the public
On
the beginning of cooperation between Belgrade and UNMIK on the
investigation of KLA crimes
Commentary
by Fr. Sava Janjic
Results of UN/KFOR mission that Kosovo
Serbs experience firsthand every day
The number of unresolved cases of attacks against Serbs since
the arrival of the
peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and Metohija give rise to the
legitimate question
whether the role of the UNMIK police is to prevent and
punish crimes or just to
record crimes committed by Albanian extremists and express its
"sincere regrets"
(Photo: Collage of images from some of the most serious crimes
committed
against Serbs since June 1999, ERP - Click on image
for larger format)
This
article was written exclusively for the Belgrade daily Danas
and appeared in its weekend edition of November 29-30, 2003.
full
text of the commentary is available at:
http://www.kosovo.net.unmikhiding.html
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