U.S. religious leaders astounded by violence against Christian heritage in Kosovo and Metohija

http://news.suc.org/bydate/2004/August_12/29.html ^ | 12.08.2004 | http://news.suc.org/bydate/2004/August_12/29.html

[Karadjordje]

"Eminent U.S. religious leaders astounded by violence against Christian heritage in Kosovo and Metohija

ERP KIM Info Service

Gracanica, August 12, 2004

Twelve members of a delegation of U.S. religious leaders headed by Joseph K. Grieboski, the chairman of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy arrive in the monastery of Gracanica on Wednesday evening at about 8:00 p.m. accompanied by Mr. Damjan Krnjevic-Miskovic, the special advisor on Kosovo and Metohija to Serbian president Boris Tadic, and Rev. Fr. Irinej Dobrijevic, consultant to the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church. They were welcomed in front of the church at Gracanica by Bishop Artemije of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija and his associates. The bishop greeted the guests from the U.S. in carefully chosen words and spoke of the tragic life of the Serbs and their holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija during the past five years.

The bishop emphasized that prior to March 17 of this year 115 Orthodox churches and monasteries had already been destroyed, and on March 17 an additional 30. 'To date not a single perpetrator has been found. Over 3,500 Serbs have been abducted or murdered. All this occurred not during a time of war but under the eyes of the international community. Unfortunately, five months later restoration has not even begun on a single church or monastery,' said the bishop. He told the members of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy that the Serb people have had enough of stories and promises and that they want to see concrete results. The delegation of U.S. religious leaders set out yesterday on a tour of Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija. The delegation spent extra time in the monastery of Devic where the U.S. representatives, visibly shocked by the barbaric destruction of the monastery and church whose walls bear the acronyms of the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) and other Albanian extremist organizations, expressed their horror at the eradication of Christian culture in Kosovo and Metohija to gathered reporters.

Pastor Joseph Grieboski, chairman of the Committee for Religious Rights, tours the ruins of the church of St. George and the Bishop's residence in Prizren. "This is shameful and a major wakeup call for modern humanity," said Mr. Grieboski	Pastor Michael Faulker of the Baptist church in New York falls to his knees in pain on the burned ruins of the monastery of Devic whose walls remain covered by crude inscriptions and acronyms of the KLA and other Albanian organizations while two other members of the delegation share the pain of their colleague.

'Attacks on these churches and monasteries are attacks on the entire Christian civilization, and the U.S. and the world cannot tolerate such violence,' said Joseph Grieboski. The members of the delegation saw for themselves that five months after the most recent destruction of 30 more churches during the March pogrom, restoration has not even begun on any of the churches despite many promises that the damage done would compensated. The U.S. delegation was kept waiting in front of the gate of the burned ruins of the monastery of Devic for an hour and a half by French KFOR while members supposedly sought authorization for the visit. 'If only we had been as enthusiastic in preventing the entry of Albanian extremists on March 17, this holy place would have been saved,' commented a member of the U.S. delegation.

After its visit to Devic the delegation visited the villege of Osojane, in which Kosovo Serb returnees live under total isolation in poverty and without basic economic assistance. After Osojane the religious leader continued on to the monastery of Visoki Decani. On behalf of Bishop Teodosije, the abbot of Decani, the delegation was received by Fr. Sava Janjic. After guiding them to the church and acquainting them with the history of the monastery, the delegation was treated with traditional hospitality and a monastic lunch was served on the monastery terrace.

In his address to the eminent guests from the U.S., Fr. Sava said that Christianity in Kosovo and Metohija is exposed to systematic eradication and that the U.S. public needs to be told loudly and clearly that the U.S. cannot and must not tolerate the continuation of violence against Orthodox Christians regardless of the final status of the Province.

'Many Kosovo Albanians live with perception that the U.S. unconditionally supports everything that is happening here. Your duty and responsibility is to inform the members of your Congress and Administration that ethnic and cultural genocide is being carried out here under the international administration of the UN and in the presence of NATO forces, and that the Serb community together with its holy shrines is on the brink of extinction.'

'The Serbian Orthodox Church's interest is to see that a peaceful and dignified life ensured for all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija and it is shameful that in the 21st century in the middle of Europe people are being killed and churches destroyed solely because they meet with the disapproval of their neighbors with another language, religion and culture. The world must clearly let Kosovo political leaders know that this Province, regardless of the status it is to have, will never have an open door to the civilized world as long as the values of Christian culture and civilization are being heedlessly destroyed. The future of the citizens living in this territory cannot be built on the ashes of churches and ancient icons but on the values representing the basis of modern civilization: first and foremost, religious tolerance, respect for human rights and the dignity of each and every individual,' emphasised Father Sava.

Some members of the delegation confided to Decani monks that local Albanians made threatening gestures while their bus was passing through the town under UN police escort. 'They made a gesture of cutting a throat or shooting at us presumably because they thought we were Serbs. We could feel from the first hand how Orthodox Christians are being treated by Kosovo Albanians because in that moment we found ourselves in their shoes', said one member of the U.S. delegation of religious leaders.

After Visoki Decani the U.S. delegation visited the destroyed churches of Prizren and spent extra time visiting the monastery of Holy Archangels, which was torched on March 17, 2004. The monks of the monastery have returned and are awaiting for the restoration of the destroyed holy shrine to begin.

During the visit to the Holy Archangels Monastery members of the delegation talked to the monks who serve their services in a tent and live in trailers since March riots this year. The monastery is surrounded by barbed wire and German KFOR troops who say that in case there is a new attack they would not let the monastery and monks alone as in March. Pastor Michael Faulkner from the Central Baptis Church of New York, who is known as an activist for rights of the coloured people in the U.S. said for KIM Radio that he first time in his life felt rasism among the people of the same colour of their skin.

'Walking along the streets of Prizren I could feel rasism among the people of the same colour of their skin, who look alike. It was not clear to me why they behaved in that way towards our delegation too until I saw the ruins of the churches. Albanian crowd began gathering around us and our Serbian hosts. For the first time I could feel rasism among the whites. Entering this city I did not feel myself hatred in the eyes of Albanians but I could observe that my Serbian friends were frighened and that was so painful experience for me. I could understand why they felt so because I faced rasist discrimination in different periods of my life and it took time a long time to free myself from that pressure. This today was one of the most unusual experiences of my life', said pastor Faulkner.

In the next few days the delegation of U.S. religious leaders will be meeting with representatives of the local administration, UNMIK and KFOR in order to discuss the protection of Orhtodox holy shrines and population, among other things, and to convey its bitterness due to the attitude of the majority Albanian population toward Orthodox Christians and Christian culture in Kosovo and Metohija."

[drew]

Wait a minunte, I thought we set everything straight there and backed the good guys. Wha' happen?

[joan]

Hey, weren't you banned for fighting with Ronly Bonly Jones?

[coconutt2000]

They're surprised?

That's what happens when you use half @$$ed intervention.

Blame Clinton!


Now, if Bush Sr. had gone in to help, it would've turned out different. I'll grant that we'd still have a strong presence there, but we'd be accomplishing what we set out to do.

None of this turning tail and running when it becomes politically expedient to do so. None of this letting the United Nations try and keep the peace with handicapped peacekeepers.

I have cousins in the Peacekeepers, and it sucks knowing that their commanders are taking orders from stupid politicians with highly liberal policies in regards to the use of force.

[Karadjordje]

Hello joan! How are you? Karadjordje is still here!


Karadjordje

[Sender]

It is a tragedy and an outrage. I imagine that the Albanians doing this are part of the Religion of Peace?

[CitizenUSA]

I'm confused. Why do our leaders keep claiming Islam is the religion of peace? See, the Islamic fanatics really believe in what they are fighting for--even to the point of death. We won't win the real war if we don't believe in our cause as much as they believe in theirs!

[1066AD]

It's for the same reason there's no Christian churches in Saudi Arabia and the butning of churches in northern Nigeria - those tolerant peaceful muslims.

[tbpiper]

I imagine that the Albanians doing this are part of the Religion of Peace?

Bingo.

[Karadjordje]

Mujahedeen Movies:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1187259/posts?page=2#3

Guess which side was bombed?

Karadjordje

[Karadjordje]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1187259/posts?page=2#3
Karadjordje

[Smocker]

We backed the religion of peace.

[GOP_1900AD]

Memo to Slick: Do you ever wonder what happened in "keausuhveau"?" You told us that there was "ethnic cleansing" going on and therefore, had to bomb the snot out of the beautiful Danube bridges to show those Serbs a thing or three. So, now, check out "keasuhveyeau" and see what you "accomplished!"

[Karadjordje]

And don't forget, the Serbs fought against big Al Qaida Terrorists in the early 90s'...

The old one ...

The new one...

Date: Saturday, 19 June, 2004 Profile: Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin, al-Qaeda's reputed leader in Saudi Arabia reported killed on Saturday, was a veteran of conflicts around the world. The 31-year-old Saudi national took up the extremist cause as a teenager and is believed to have trained with fellow Saudi Osama Bin Laden. Driven by hatred of Saudi Arabia's pro-US monarchy, he led a series of recent attacks to destabilise the country. His group claimed responsibility for killing US hostage Paul Johnson. Muqrin, Saudi Arabia's most wanted man, is believed to have earned his credentials as a fighter in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. Much later, he was involved in the Taleban's battle against US-led forces there. Reward Muqrin also fought in Algeria, Bosnia, and the Horn of Africa. He was captured in Ethiopia in the late 1990s while fighting alongside Somali separatists and extradited to Saudi Arabia where he was sentenced to four years in prison. But this was cut in half as a reward for memorising the Koran. Muqrin is believed to have been the mastermind behind a suicide bombing at a housing compound in Riyadh in November last year, which killed 17 people. His fighters have also been blamed for a series of increasingly bloody attacks in Saudi Arabia, including a siege in Khobar last month that left 22 people dead. Muqrin's group, calling itself the "al-Qaeda Organisation in the Arabian Peninsula" posted a video on an Islamist website last Tuesday, threatening to kill American Paul Johnson if al-Qaeda prisoners were not released from Saudi jails. Three days later, the same group posted another video, showing that their threat had been carried out. Mr Johnson was the third American killed in Riyadh in the past 10 days. Described as a smart and brutal tactician, Muqrin was said to have lived in the Riyadh district of al-Suwaydi, home to many of Saudi Arabia's most-wanted militants. BBC cameraman Simon Cumbers was killed and security correspondent Frank Gardner seriously injured in a drive-by shooting while working there on 6 June. Source: BBC

SALEH, EX-COP, NEW AL-QAEDA LEADER IN SAUDI MIL Date : JUN 22, 2004 Riyadh - Al-Qaeda leader Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin, who was killed in Riyadh in a gunshoot by the Security Forces, has been replaced by an ex-Saudi Police Officer Saleh Mohammad al-Oufi. He shall be the new chief of Al-Qaeda network on the Arabian Peninsula according to Arab Media. Saleh is within 36-38 and holds the position as number 4 among the most wanted militants in Saudi Arabia. He was once Police Officer, born in Medina and joined the terrorist group in Afghanistan. Since he was wounded in Bosnia, he was reported to have come back to Saudi for treatment and thereafter he stayed here since then. The Saudi Institute, an independent news agency, which is based in Washington has confirmed the appointment of Salah in place of al-Muqrin. According to Al-Hayat, owned by Saudies and published from London, said, " Saleh al-Oufi is the most dangerous of the al-Qaeda Lieutenants left alive in Saudi Arabia." This news has not so far been relayed or confirmed by Islamist websites, which is an information channel for al-Qaedas. Source: Internationalreporter

Karadjordje

[eleni121]

Astounded...this stuff and far far worsevhas been going on for hundreds of years while the West looked the other way.

Astounded?! Right...

[eleni121]

Astounded...this stuff and far far worse has been going on for hundreds of years while the West looked the other way.

Astounded?! Right...

[Karadjordje]

A Serbian Newspaper showing pictures of Islamist Albanian KLA Terrorists having fun with a Serbian head (Kosovo)...

Why weren't the Serb s allowed to defend them against this albanian mujahedenn killing, can anyone exlpain me that???

Karadjordje

[Trickyguy]

Blame Clinton!

You can blame Clinton all you want but I don't see Bush doing anything. I also don't see him doing anything in Zimbabwe or South Africa.

[joan]

Pedal in Peace to help Kosovo Serbs.

[vooch]

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