Serbian Orthodox suffer since the United Nations took control of Kosovo

Evangelical Times ^ | 02/21/03 | Evangelical Times, UK

[Destro]

Serbian Orthodox suffer

At least 110 Serb Christian sites (churches, monasteries, graveyards etc.) have been damaged or destroyed in Kosovo since the United Nations took control in June 1999.

Most recently, a church building in the village of Ljubovo was completely destroyed by an explosion in the early hours of 17 November last.

A second explosion damaged another church in the town of Djurakovac. The bombings came on the eve of a visit to Kosovo by UN General Secretary Kofi Annan.

Church leaders and Orthodox worshippers also face violence and hostility from ethnic Albanians, especially where UN checkpoints in the vicinity of churches have been withdrawn in recent months.

Ethnic Albanian Muslim extremists regard churches as symbols of Serbian domination and see them as legitimate targets.

[Karadjordje]

Ok, but I meant the politcal things. Are they for a Bosnian Federation?

Karadjordje

[homeagain balkansvet]

Depends on whom you ask. You know Bosnia. Ask 2 people get 8 opinions, depending on whether they think they're telling you what you want to hear and can make a Kmark off of you.

[Stavka2]

First off, the 4 C "swastika" show's the poster's intent. The 4 Cs are cyrillic Ss and mean that Serbs will servive only through unity, and are in the four cornors of a Christian cross.

The Croats in Tuzla had fresh swastikas, about a meter and a half painted on each of their houses. They also flew only the Croatian (ok, this was in the villages) flag and accepted only Croatian gelder. As for the nice Musli, who constantly claimed to love everyone, there were only musli prayer rooms on their posts. When I asked one Islamo Lt what did none musli get for religious support in the Bosnian national army, I was told: "Not our problem, they don't get shit and thats that." Also, loved all the Islamo trash mujahadjin walking around...we had to keep track of Orec and the Iranians and the Afghans and the rest, couldn't touch though. They even let the Egyptian freighter (flying Ukrainian colors) in with its load of T-55 tanks.

Hell, they even tried to blow up the Pope when he came to visit Sarjevo....but the West still kept kissing the kindly ole Islamo arse...not much different then what it does today. That's when my respect for Western culture flushed down the toilet.

[Stavka2]

Yup, that's why the UN busted an Iranian factory turning toys into bombs, while I was there with SFOR...keep on pumping it for them.

[homeagain balkansvet]

I know the village near Eagle Base (Donja Dubrave) well. Yes. Croat flags were seen. No, never saw a Swastika. As for the Army, remember that there was the (Catholic) Croat branch of the army and the (Muslim) Bosniac branch. Of course they didn't mix.

The four-C swastika may have had a neutral meaning once but not these days. Too much blood. Way too much blood.

[Stavka2]

That's funny, because south of Brcko is a huge Muslim enclave that was allied with Republik Serbska fighting Isabegovich and his Islamo gang....try that one on for size.

[homeagain balkansvet]

BTW, Stavka, your bad English betrays you. You're not military. Probably not even US. You're a translator, probably a Serb, maybe Croat.

[Karadjordje]

No I mean the main opinion of the Croats in Bosnia! What was your impression (in what time and how long had you been there)

Karadjordje

[homeagain balkansvet]

No, I MEAN the main opinion of Croats in Bosnia! Figuring out what people really believe in that country is a bitch. Try it.

[Stavka2]

Who would believe that? Why Izobegavich would, the very man who headed up the Young Muslims Movement, meant on erredication of all none Muslims from Bosnia...for that Tito shot half the leadership and threw Izo and the rest in a jail for 16 years....oh, or didn't you think people knew that little bit of history? Darned, how those nifty facts come out to bugger you proper.

[Karadjordje]

I think you are making fun of me, because you are "neutral" person. In the German (anti-serb) press there are a lot of articles about the Croats in Bosnia and their obvious opinion to the subject Bosnia...

Karadjordje

[homeagain balkansvet]

Why Izobegavich would, the very man who headed up the Young Muslims Movement, meant on erredication of all none Muslims from Bosnia.

I had you pegged right. DEFINITELY a Serb. Izzy explicitly says in his famous book Islam between East and West that he doesn't see a role for Islamic law or Sharia in Bosnia; the place isn't a majory Islamic country and never will be. In that, he'd probably be subject to a fatwa by the Al Q crazies for being a Western tool. The "erredication" schtick is brought to you by the Serb war criinals who started the war: Serbs like Biljana Plavsic, who wrote a book on the "genetic superiority" of Serbs over Muslims (in fact the two groups are identical in all but faith), or Karadzic, who called for Muslim genocide on the floor of the parliament building. Repeat a lie often enough and the stupid will buy it.

[homeagain balkansvet]

I'm not (for once) making fun. What people tell us and what people think are two different things. You know that about Bosnia, for God's sake. Sure, a certain point of view gets in the German press about the Croats: but that's the German's problem too. Remember the Germans basically invented independent Croatia in 1941. They reinvented it by calling for its recognition in 1991, probably five years prematurely, but 'they had to be loyal to their old allies' yadda yadda. So they have a finger in this pie too.

I'm not neutral, being a human being; I simply am trying to be fair. I've met some wonderful people in all three ethnic groups. I've met some real bastards in all three ethnic groups. And I've met a few total criminals in all three ethnic groups.

But as for who started the war, I've seen too much to be able to pretend that I don't see one side as primarily responsible for the start of this most recent war. I wish I could pretend to be neutral. But I've seen too much, read too much.

[Stavka2]

You were JAG? Oh gads, did you even get off of Eagle Base (I think that was the name...been 5 years). Tuzla, did you even see the city or did you do like the majority of the staff guys, ride in on a bus from Hungery and 1 year later, ride back out. I served (for a short time) on the Division staff and then moved off to Bedrock and served as a patrol leader...I saw what was happening and since we were mixed with the Russian detachment, we patrolled both sides. Your grasp on the Balkan reality is explainable only by your position.

[homeagain balkansvet]

Oh gads, did you even get off of Eagle Base

Extensively. Somebody has to pay for maneuver damage claims.

[Stavka2]

The Croat branch was under the control of the Croatian Federal Motorized Infantry Brigade, stationed illegally south west of Brcko. The nazi swastikas were in Tuzla itself, in the Croat section of the city, by the factories, when you leave Eagle Base and head towards the Swedish bat.

What do you know about the Orthodox faith? The 4 Cs are as close to a swastika as the Orthodox cross they surround. You're really digging deep on that one.

[Stavka2]

Hay numbnuts, I was 1ID, my bad english? Please, got all A's on my AG english classes...that's acedamically gifted...just because I don't spell worth a damn hardly matters. Unlike you, I lead patrols as an officer in the US ARMY...get that? Or is it that someone who served there, saw the land and the reality doesn't agree with you so you're trying desperately to try and discredit the source...to keep your own little boat from sinking?

[Karadjordje]

Listen, I know a Bosnian Muslim friend whose mother and wife was massacred in Tuzla (You know Tuzla?). I know a Bosnian Serb whose whole property was stolen in Bosnia. I know someone who's unit captured real fanatic mudschahedin from foreign countries in Bosnia! I know a Serb from Croatia who was cleansed from Krajina. I know Serbian families that are cleansed from Kosovo. I visitied a huge gypsy-refugge-camp Yugoslavia. I know a Serb whose 6 relatives get slaughtered by Croatian Ustashas in WW2 and another serb whose relatives died in a concentration camp in WW2. I know a US soldiers who was in Croatia and a German KFOR-Soldier who was in Kosovo. This is not all.

Karadjordje

[homeagain balkansvet]

Okay, fair 'nuff, I withdraw the charge. But the stuff you're saying indicates that you must have spent a LOT of time with the Serbs. My interaction was about even, maybe a bit more with the Muslims than otherwise. Sure it affected my POV.

1st ID? You must have been there, what, SFOR 2 or 3 or so? Time passes; they cleaned up their act by the time I got there. Never saw one swastika in the Federation (except as I said on the borders). Saw a lot of red and white checkerboards, tho.

[homeagain balkansvet]

I have no doubt you do. Everyone who's been to Bosnia knows heartbreak-hotel stories. Bosnia is a land where the Devil walked openly in the streets.