Provocations in Djakovica
August 28, 2009
Serbian Orthodox Church Official Site
Milena Bajovic
Several hundreds Albanians protested against Serbs who were coming to a consecration of a church in Djakovica. Thanks to the heavy forces of the Kosovo police and special units, Serbs managed to leave Djakovica after the liturgy. The Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija condemned the today's incident.
On the occasion of the Assumption of Virgin Mary couple of tens of Serbs participated in Djakovica during the Holy Liturgy and the consecration of the church of Assumption of the Mother of God. They came for the first time after 1999 in their home town.
Though, several hundreds of Albanians gathered in front of the church and they prevented by shouting "Chetniks" and "criminals" and swearing, Serbs to leave the church courtyard in three vans and go to the monastery of Visoki Dechani.
After the police reinforcements to displaced Serbs had arrived, eyewitnesses said that they managed to set off with the police escort through other streets on the way to Visoki Dechani where are about 200 displaced Serbs from Djakovica, who had not come to Djakovica because of the security reasons.
On the Feast day of Assumption of Virgin Mary many faithful gathered, displaced people form Kosovo and Metohija and Serbs who live in enclaves.
Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan with the concelebration of monastery brotherhood served the Liturgy in a presence of great number of the faithful.
Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan gave a statement to the Internet portal of the RTS that today's great number of the faithful gathered in the monastery of Visoki Dechani means that people really care for sanctuaries even though they had been living very far from them for many years.
Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan also sent a word that Kosovo and Metohija were not lost forever and that he hoped that Serbs would start to come back to Kosovo and Metohija.
Condemnation of the incident in Djakovica
Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija has condemned the incident in Djakovica and stated that those kind of acts are not in favor of pacification of the situation but they are provoking further conflicts and instabilities.
On the occasion of gathering the Albanians who were in front of the Orthodox church and who called visiting Serbs "chetnicks" and "criminals" and cursing them is just a quasi evaluation and calling anyone a criminal without any evidence is completely unacceptable.
In communiqué it has been said that the Ministry regrets for all innocent victims in Kosovo and Metohija and supports actions in finding the missing of any nation and faith, as well as arresting those responsible for crimes.