I recently visited the Visoki Decani monastery of the Serbian Orthodox church, located just outside the city of Peja/Pec (in Kosovo, names of places are given in both Albanian and Serbian). Serbian King Stefan Uros III, whose son went on to build the Serbian Empire that existed from 1346 through 1371, erected the monastery in the fourteenth century. Stefan was canonized in 1339 and his body enshrined in the monastery he built (although his mausoleum is not usually open to the public, I happened to visit at the same time as an Orthodox priest from Romania and so was able to kiss his hand).

Tomb of Saint Stefan, a former Serbian king.

The monastery is heralded as the largest and best preserved Medieval church in the entire Balkans and, in 2004, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (as the UN doesn’t recognize Kosovo’s independence, the site is listed as the “Medieval Monuments in Kosovo” under the country of Serbia – http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724).

It is also a “hot spot” of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. For that reason, a force of KFOR troops (from Italy) are stationed there.

So, why is a church known for its frescos and a unique mix of styles of architecture (including Romanesque, Gothic and Byzantine – I studied art history) in need of protection by NATO troops?

Frescos in the Visoki Decani monastery.

The answer, as some in Kosovo say, is that the church is being used as political propaganda. The government of Serbia considers Visoki Decani monastery as the cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy and, as Orthodox Christianity is at the heart of the Serbian ethnic identity, the cradle of Serbian civilization as well.  In short, the Vikoski Decani monastery forms the basis for the “Kosovo is Serbia” argument.

Consider Serbian President Boris Tadic’s message delivered during his trip to the Visoki Decani monastery this past April. He stated, “My message today in Visoki Decani is a message of peace, peace for the Serbs, peace for the Albanians and all those who live in Kosovo, in our Serbia.”

(It is interesting to note that President Tadic required permission to visit the Visoki Decani monastery. Of course, he refused to submit a request to the government of Kosovo, as that would be seen as recognition of its legitimacy. Instead, he operated through intermediaries in the European Union, who in turn encouraged Kosovo to grant him authorization to enter the country.)

Tadic’s so-called message of peace continues to ignore the political will of the Albanian majority in Kosovo and the reality of an independent Kosovo. It is therefore not altogether surprising that the monastery has been subject to violent attacks, the most recent of which occurred in March 2007.

As details of the Nazi campaign to systematically eradicate the world’s Jewish population emerged after World War II, the world cried out “Never again!”

But in 1995, genocide occurred once again (and not for the first time since the Shoah), this time while the international community and a United Nations peacekeeping force watched.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) describes the war that ravaged Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995 as the deadliest of all the conflicts that surrounded the breakup of Yugoslavia. During the conflict, persons of all ethnicities were subject to atrocities committed by all sides struggling for power. However, the Srebrenica Genocide stands out not only as a symbol of the failure (others say betrayal) of the international community, but of humanity as well.

(The Srebrenica Genocide is also called the Srebrenica Massacre. However, I will continue to refer to the events as the Srebrenica Genocide, because I believe in the power of words. For me at least, substituting the word “massacre” for “genocide” only minimizes the events that occurred there, allowing revisionists to deny the truth.)

The circumstances of the war in Bosnia that ultimately led to the Srebrenica Genocide are exceedingly complex and difficult to decipher. In 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugolsavia. Serbia responded with military action and, mobilizing the Bosnian Serb community, occupied 70% of the country by April of that year. In its attempt to solidify “Greater Serbia,” Serb forces targeted Bosniaks, or Bosnian Muslims. Soon, Bosnian Croats turned on their Muslim neighbors and the conflict becomes three-sided.

In 1993, with the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 819, Srebrenica was officially declared a “safe area” for civilians. However, this did not stop Serb aggression. Humanitarian aid was prevented from reaching the enclave and in 1995, forces began laying siege upon Srebrenica. Bosniaks fled to the UN base at Potocari for protection, where they found none. Witnesses describe the Dutch peacekeeping force stationed there as at best, allowing Serb forces to “slaughter them,” and at worst, helping them to do so. Survivors are even suing the Dutch government and the UN for failing to protect them (For more information on the actions of the Dutchbat at Srebrenica and the lawsuit of victims, see http://srebrenica-genocide.blogspot.com/2007/06/un-dutch-cowards-on-trial-analysis.html). Ultimately, 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered and many Bosniak women brutally raped.

On the 14^th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, once again, the world cries out, this time “Never Forget!”

"Never Forget"

I had intended on attending the Peace March and the commemorative events with my fellow Advocacy Project Fellows Alison and Kelsey of Bosfam and Simran and Donna of Women and Black. However, due to political reasons, I am not permitted to travel through Serbia, which is necessary for me to get to Bosnia. Instead, I took the opportunity to speak with women here in Kosovo on the Srebrenica Genocide.

This is what they had to say:

On July 7, Mahmoud Abbas, who is referred to as the President of Palestine in the Balkan press, met with officials of the Serbian government in Belgrade. Abbas publically reaffirmed “the traditional longstanding friendship between the Serbian and Palestinian peoples” and stated that Serbia could contribute to the Middle East peace process.

Abbas stated, “I am counting on you, Mr. President [Boris Tadic], to continue supporting efforts to reach a solution in the Middle East through talks with Israel that will enable Israel and Palestine to live side-by-side and cooperate as neighbors.” He then addressed the status of Kosovo, saying “The Kosovo issue is before the International Court [of Justice] and I believe that that is the right way to resolve every problem. That is our stance.”

Mahmoud Abbas

On the part of Serbia, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic issued a statement thanking President Abbas for “the support he extends Serbia in preserving its territorial integrity and sovereignty.” President Tadic even announced plans for a scholarship initiative for Palestinian students.

I have to admit, this initially confused me. Past experience caused me to (wrongly) assume that Palestine would see the similarities in their situation to that of Kosovo and politically align with the newborn country.

For example, during my time in Ireland, I had the opportunity to study the history of Northern Ireland and eventually visit Belfast. Northern Ireland is home to The Troubles, where the population is divided along political and religious lines, resulting in a LONG history of violence (read Tim Pat Coogan’s “The Troubles” for a historical overview of the situation in Northern Ireland). They see their situation mirrored in the Middle East and have chosen sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Republicans (who are mainly Catholic, and want a unified and independent Ireland) support the Palestinians, while the Unionists (who are mainly Protestant, and want to maintain their ties with the United Kingdom) support the Israelis. This is most clearly demonstrated in the political murals that are found throughout the city, such as the one below.

Pro-Palestine Republican mural in Belfast

(The writing in the mural to the left says “Palestine…The largest concentration camp in the world!!! 3.3 million innocent people tortured, denied their freedom!” The Arabic writing in the mural to the right is a translation of a Republican slogan, Tiocfaidh ár Lá or “our day will come.”)

Then, it dawned on me. I may not be a politician, but Abbas sure is.

Cultivating ties with Serbia is brilliant political maneuvering. Serbia is closely allied with Russia, Syria and Egypt, all major world players. Maintaining and strengthening good relations with these three nations will result in an increase in actual support for the Palestinian cause on the international stage.  Serbia and Russia regard Kosovo’s declaration of independence illegal, and while other Middle Eastern nations have recognized the government of Kosovo (the most recent being Jordan), Egypt and Syria are not among them. In fact, Egypt even prevented a delegation of Kosovar officials from participating in the 2008 Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) that was held in Cairo.

Of course, some in Kosovo have suggested that Palestinians are just jealous.