Published: 23/09/2024
Modified: 23/09/2024
Statement of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška and Prizren regarding the incident in Ibarski Kolašin
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška and Prizren expresses its deep concern and regret over the latest desecration of a historic church site in Međugore, in the Ibarski Kolašin area of Kosovo and Metohija, as reported by local residents. The destruction of icons and visible bullet damage at this sacred site, discovered on the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, is a deeply troubling act that further intensifies the pain and uncertainty felt by our people in Kosovo and Metohija, especially in recent times. This church site in Međugore, where annual prayers are held and the Pentecost Monday feast is celebrated, is not just a religious monument but a place of preservation of the spiritual and cultural identity of our community. The desecration of this place sends an overt message of hostility, reinforcing the feeling that our people, who have lived in Kosovo and Metohija for centuries, are no longer welcome.
We wish to emphasize that this incident, along with other pressures and intimidation from extremists, as well as from the Kosovo police, threatens the safety and dignity of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. Twenty-five years after the war, it is unacceptable that acts of violence and desecration continue to go unpunished, indicating the inability of local authorities to fully ensure the security and protection of our Church and its faithful. Such actions have a damaging impact not only on the faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church but on all communities in Kosovo and Metohija, as they deepen ethnic and religious divisions, portray the region as unstable, and encourage further emigration of people from all communities, fueling economic instability and threatening the future of all its citizens.
We resolutely appeal to the international representatives in Kosovo and Metohija to use all their influence to resolve this incident and put an end to similar incidents and systematic pressure on the Serbian population. The future of Kosovo and Metohija cannot be built on a foundation of discrimination and intimidation. We call on the international community to ensure that measures are specifically taken to protect our people and the religious and cultural heritage of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is essential that both local and international authorities work together to send a clear message: there is no place for intolerance and discrimination in a society where all citizens must live in mutual respect and peace. Conflict and violence can bring no good to anyone.
Our Church remains deeply committed to fostering peace and reconciliation. However, peace can only endure where justice prevails, and where the sanctity of religious sites is respected and fundamental human rights are upheld. We call on the authorities in Kosovo and Metohija to cease all forms of pressure on our people, who perceive them as acts of open terror, and to demonstrate that the path to resolving issues does not lie in revenge and repressive measures.
Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška and Prizren
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Kossev: Residents of three hamlets in the Kolašin region: Our church site was desecrated, police ATVs were there a month ago
Source: KoSSev
September 21, 2024, 18:46
At a place known as Međugore (Kosovo), in the area of the Ibarski Kolašin hamlets, a historic church site, where annual prayers are held and the village feast of Pentecost Monday is celebrated, has been desecrated, according to testimonies from locals who reached out to our newsroom today.
Icons were found scattered, with residents discovering them about 15 meters into the woods. One of the oldest icons was broken in half, with bullet holes visible. Bullet holes were also found on the roof of the church site.
Today is an important Christian holiday, known as the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is also celebrated as a feast in some predominantly Serbian areas.
The locals from the hamlets of Češanoviče, Babudovice, and Bojnoviča, whose land contains the prayer site, visited the church today.
“We were met with a shocking and disappointing sight at Međugore! The icons were not in their usual place. We found them 15 meters away in the woods. One of the oldest icons, which has been at Međugore for about 50 years, was broken in half. In the upper half of the icon, we clearly saw three bullet holes, likely from a firearm, and there are also three bullet holes in the roof of the gazebo, where the icons used to hang,” the locals told our portal today, sharing photos with us.
Though the perpetrators are unknown, the locals mentioned that a month ago, on August 25th around noon, they allegedly heard three gunshots coming from the direction of Međugore, spaced a few minutes apart.
“Ten minutes later, three ATVs passed through, each carrying two members of the Kosovo police, armed with both long and short firearms, who came from the direction of Međugore,” part of their written statement to our portal reads.
Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region, Veton Elshani, told our portal that he is hearing about this incident for the first time from us, but he will immediately open an investigation and check all the allegations.
In the meantime, he also checked information through a Telegram page, which featured the same photos the locals sent to us.
“The most important thing is for the residents to notify us, so we can immediately launch an investigation, as per procedure,” Elshani added.
