Serbian church in northern Kosovo attacked again
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - June 21, 2006, Wednesday

Excerpt from report by Serbia-Montenegrin radio Kontakt Plus on 21 June

[Announcer] Unidentified persons have repeatedly damaged the church of the Holy Apostle Andrew in Podujevo, KiM [Kosovo-Metohija] Info Service today said. The church was demolished during the March violence in Kosmet [Kosovo-Metohija] in 2004, but also on 2 April this year when unknown persons broke into the church and smashed 15 windows. The attackers repeatedly broke into the church early in May when two other windows were smashed in addition to the doors. Similar demolition incident took place last week. Jasmina Scekic has the report:

[Reporter] This time the attackers again smashed the windows and wrote fresh scandalous graffiti on the church walls. The Kosovo police also confirmed that the church was repeatedly attacked this month, which is the third registered case of attacks against this church this year. Bishop Teodosije, a member of the committee for the renewal of Serb holy sites in Kosmet, most vehemently condemned this latest brutal attack against the church of the Holy Apostle Andrew in Podujevo. The repeated attack against the church of the Holy Apostle Andrew, only a month after the last attack, as well as the desecration of the church in Obilic two days ago, shows that Serbian Orthodox Churches are constantly targeted by hooligans and extremists, and the municipal authorities and the Kosovo Police Service [KPS] are neither willing nor capable of protecting Serbian Orthodox churches under threat, Teodosije said.

As far as the very renewal is concerned, we are fully determined that such attacks will not bother us, because giving up further renewal of our holy sites would be the greatest concession, a gift to those who wish to erase traces of the Serb people and our church in these regions, the bishop said.

These days, a tender has been invited to repair the roof of Ljeviska Mother of God in Prizren removed after an act of vandalism in December last year. We will not accept the beginning of the works unless 24-hour police protection is organized around this church, Bishop Teodosije said.

Source: Kontakt Plus, Kosovska Mitrovica, in Serbian 1400 gmt 21 Jun 06

Copyright 2006 British Broadcasting Corporation
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