Monday, March 29, 2004

Hope in Kosovo?

Here's some good news on Kosovo. I received the story by e-mail and can't find it on its sponsoring site:

We need surgical intervention; the time of voodoo doctors and deception in Kosovo is over

A meeting between the NATO commander for Southern Europe, Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, and Fr. Sava Janjic of Visoki Decani Monastery, who represented the Diocese of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija in the absence of Bishop Artemije, took place today in Gracanica Monastery. In an extended conversation, they agreed that the situation in Kosovo and Metohija is complex and difficult, and Admiral Johnson expressed determination to establish values leading to an improvement of the situation.

In a brief statement for KIM Radio in Caglavica, Admiral Johnson emphasized that he and Fr. Sava had "a good discussion on the events of the past 10 days and the horrible tragedies that occurred here. We both spoke of a common wish to turn this tragedy into a new opportunity to work on the process of reconciliation in which Kosovo will become a model where every individual citizen, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation, sex or race, will live in an environment where he wil have the opportunity to realize his potential."

Fr. Sava told KIM Radio and the ERP KIM Info Service that he feels "somewhat encouraged after the conversation with Admiral Johnson who expressed his deep regret for the tragic events in Kosovo last week." Fr. Sava emphasized that the Serb community and Church have been saying for years that the situation is bad and that UNMIK is deceiving the public and submitting false reports regarding the situation in Kosovo."

"In Admiral Johnson I saw a determination and decisiveness that I have not yet seen in a NATO representative or politician so far. I only hope that this line of thinking will prevail and that everyone will come to understand that problems in Kosovo cannot be resolved by pretending that the nightmare that happened here is over. I hope that capable surgeons will finally intervene and lance the wound of Kosovo, and that its treatment will be entrusted to competent surgeons, not voodoo doctors. A cancerous wound cannot be healed with aspirin and bandaids but by radical surgical intervention."

"It is now completely clear to everyone that this is a cancerous growth that can be resolved only through surgery. All the necessary tests need to be done, the diagnosis made, and then the growth must be surgically extracted in order for convalescence to begin, that is, a political process of reconciliation but only with those who are truly prepared to build a European civil society and committed to multiethnic society."

"Democracy cannot be be built on institutions which in critical moments remain speechless or incite violence, politicians who lack the most rudimentary sense of political accountability, and so-called multiethnic Kosovo institutions resting on foundations that are rotten. Serbs cannot participate in such institutions because that would be equal to collective suicide. Especially disappointing is the fact that a large part of the Kosovo Police Service (KPS), which was seen as an epitome of international success and multiethnicity, directly participated in the riots, orchestrating the ethnic Albanian violence and carrying out the ethnic cleansing of the Serb population, especially in Obilic and Lipljan but elsewhere, too. The rest of the KPS remained loyal to UNMIK and some police officers were even wounded defending Serb homes and churches.

"Dialogue can take place only with people who have a civilized view of society because a European future cannot be built by digging up graves, burning down churches, mutilating the face of Our Lord Jesus Christ on medieval frescoes and icons, and trampling the values that represent the foundation of European civilization. The Kosovo Albanians must understand this just like all the other Balkan peoples understand it, must understand it."

"Today Prizren looks more like Afghanistan than a part of Europe. If we continue on the same road, Kosovo will isolate itself from Europe and the civilized world forever. It's time for a decisive change of strategy and methods."

"I am convinced that NATO's role here is very significant and I sincerely believe that in the coming days we will be able to see whether these words will be transformed into deeds or whether the international community will continue its previous policy of covering up reality and persisting in an impotent political process."

"Kosovo Albanians might attempt to continue systematic destruction of the Christian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo, but they must be aware that in the flames and ashes of our churches, holy icons, frescoes and relics, their chances of joining the cultured and civilized democratic world will burn out too," Fr. Sava said.

"We resolutely ask that Serbs be enabled to return to their homes; that destroyed and damaged houses be repaired; we ask the return of our brotherhoods and sisterhoods (particularly of the Holy Archangels and Devic) to their holy shrines where they will live in temporary prefabricated homes until their shrines are fully rebuilt. It is NATO's responsibility to ensure this can happen. If we see it happening, we will know that we are going in the right direction. We must not allow extremists to achieve their goal by making their return impossible. This is a serious test for the NATO credibility and authority in the Province."

"While the cultural community of the United States admires the art of Byzantium and some of the most beautiful works of Serbian medieval art in an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum, the greatest holy shrines of Orthodox art are perishing here.

"That is why I gave Admiral Johnson a piece of the burned engraved crucifix from the destroyed church in Pristina. It is a burned angel to remind him of what transpired here. We both expressed hope that the good will prevail over the evil and that the evil must not be allowed to triumph and achieve its goals by crimes and vandalism."

"I am certain that burned angel will be a meaningful token that will remind Admiral Johnson of everything we discussed needs to be implemented as soon as possible," Fr. Sava concluded in his statement for Radio KIM and the ERP KIM Info Service after the meeting in Gracanica.


In the photo above, Fr. Sava shows Admiral Johnson the destroyed churches of Prizren and desecrated tomb of St. Ionnachius of Devic. "German KFOR allowed the Albanians to destroy centuries of Christian culture in one night," Fr. Sava said, "and failed to protect a single church; they stood and watched and snapped photos of the burning of Holy Archangels Monastery. It's inexcusable and KFOR commander Kammerhoff and his colonel Hintelmann are directly responsible; they will be remembered in history books as accomplices in the destruction of centuries of Christian culture and civilization."

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