Posted on 07/19/2007 12:54:06 PM PDT by Bokababe
The brotherhood of Zociste Monastery in Metohija has declined to remove the Serbian flag from their belltower after being asked to do so yesterday by international forces in Kosovo and Metohija. The request to remove the flag was made after Albanian threats that if the monks did not do this, the monastery would be attacked.
Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren said that "if someone is bothered by the flag, then they should intervene" but that the monks would not remove the flag. Members of Austrian KFOR which secures the monastery advised the monks early yesterday morning that the Albanians are threatening to attack the monastery, stating that it is KFOR's task to protect those who are threatened and to calm those who are creating disturbance in Kosovo. They then requested that the flag be removed. Yesterday the Kosovo Government had no comment regarding threats directed at the Serbian Orthodox Church, claiming that they had no knowledge of the matter.
"If the Kosovo Albanians have the right to display the flag of another country - Albania - on their homes and huts, why would Serbs not have the same right to do so on their monastery," said Bishop Artemije. He added that Zociste Monastery is located in its own country of Serbia.
Zociste Monastery was completely dynamited in 1999. However, three years ago the monastery elder, Father Petar (Ulemek), received the blessing of Bishop Artemije to begin rebuilding the holy shrine. The consecration of the renewed church and the return of the holy relics of Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian after eight years took place on Saturday, the monastery patron saint's day, and gathered some 3,000 Serbs from all parts of Kosovo and central Serbia. Five monks live in the monastery.
Zociste Monastery is currently unique in Kosovo and Metohija in that it is the only restored and consecrated holy shrine out of the approximately 150 that have been destroyed (since) 1999. As well, it was restored largely through individual donations, and unique in that since the first day of the brotherhood's return, it has also received visits from local Albanians who say that they "respect the Unmercenary Physicians".
The usual Muslim Albanian response -- threaten violence until you get what you want!
Can you think of any other wars where we have been totally on the wrong side, as we are on this one?
I can’t think of any.
I wonder why the KFOR troops do not arrest and detain those making the threats? Surely there must be some law against iciting violence an/or destruction of property? (/sarcasm)
Next the “Albanians” will demand that the Crucifixes be removed, or the monastary will be attacked.
When Muslims ask you to take down a flag, it’s not an attack on free speech. :D
Hmmm... the Austrian KFOR? I had no idea that the Austrians had reverted to their old Nazi ways...and alliances with the murderous muslims -—or maybe they never abandoned those ways.
The Mouse that Roared!
Maybe its time to recreate monastic knights to protect Christians from the Intolerance of Islam.
hey! these people in the balkans by the dozens of ethnic groups and religions can tell you year by year for the last millennium who did what to whom.
The request to remove the flag was made after Albanian threats that if the monks did not do this, the monastery would be attacked.What do muzzies want? EVERYTHING!
How do muzzies get it? VIOLENCE!
“Can you think of any other wars where we have been totally on the wrong side, as we are on this one?”
We were fighting on the wrong side under Clinton, but there is no excuse for Bush to perpetuate this mistake.
Seeing a Christian monastery rebuilt must drive these Muhammedan crazy!
eh. I used to think that way about W, but the evidence is now overwhelmingly in that he does not have our interests at heart.
Oh... pesky Christian monk, celebrating thir God flying a flag of their own country... in their own country... Lets Kill them!
sarc off.
Kosovo should belong to the Christians along with the rest of Europe.
Send all the damn Albanians and other Muslims back where they belong - to the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Desert.
so the flag of the nation is “inciting” vs those who are threatening to attack.
Talk about insanity in blaming the victim for “asking for it.”
This should be a symbol for the incompetence of the state department of the USA for letting this get to this point.
(then again the state department is rife with fetishists and anti-christians)
Nor can I, Rodney --and it breaks my heart.
Sure. They had KFOR forbid the ringing of church bells some time ago - because it offended them.
Dracula knew how to handle Muzzies.
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