CI Srpska condemns Kosovo minister's statement

Such ill-considered and inappropriate statements have been very harmful to the Orthodox cultural heritage in Kosovo in the past, and we urge minister Gasi to tone down his rhetoric and demonstrate his political ambitions through actions that correspond to the age we live in and the right of all people to religious belief, said a statement issued by the Initiative.In the March Pogrom, 35 Orthodox temples were destroyed in just two days, including churches built in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and it has been hinted that the unfinished cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Pristina would be turned into a "museum in memory of Kosovo Albanians", the Initiative said.Such statements by senior Kosovo government officials make the Serbs even more fearful, reminding them of March 2004, when Serbian Orthodox Church temples were razed, with over 4,000 Serbs driven out of the province and over 800 Serb homes torched, the statement warned.We urge the international community, the EULEX and KFOR that they react urgently to at least partially calm the unease among the Kosovo Serbs, the statement said.Is someone looking for an excuse for desecrating Serbian temples and will we have to apply at Gasi's ministry for permission to practice our religion, the organisation asked.How is it possible that the international community has still not issued a statement regarding this clear, apparent case of violation of the right to religious belief in the 21st century, the statement asked.Even today, the temples of the Serbian Orthodox church are protected by the KFOR and the Kosovo Police and most are enclosed by barbed wire, the statement said.The Initiative urged peace, wisdom, a fair political battle and creation of healthy and democratic society with respect for the rights of all communities in Kosovo as the basis of co-existence in a region burdened by its past.