BOSNIAK LEADERS TO ACCOUNT FOR DOZENS OF DESTROYED ORTHODOX CHURCHES

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, AUGUST 9 /SRNA/ – The Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Serbs in the Federation of BiH /FBiH/ said that Bosniak leaders had yet to answer the question of who burned down dozens of Orthodox churches and chapels, because they know that Christian places of worship were destroyed by the Muslim army.

The Committee noted that it had so far publicly asked about 23 churches and chapels, but that there had been no response from Bosniak leaders. "They know that their predominantly Muslim army burned down and destroyed all the churches and chapels it could. Only where foreign journalists and UNPROFOR were present did they pretend to be good, multi-ethnic politicians," the statement said. The Committee reminded that it had so far asked about Serbian churches and chapels in Požarnica near Tuzla, Bilješevo near Kakanj, the Cathedral Church in Mostar, Gradišće near Zenica, Stog and Čardak/Gostović near Zavidovići, and Dubnica near Kalesija. It also asked about destroyed Serbian Orthodox churches in Goražde, as well as Majkić Japra, Milanovac, Kljevci, Budimlić Japra, Karaula near Kakanj, Mutnica near Zenica, Jelašinovci, Lipnik and Dabar. "In the coming period, we will ask about dozens of churches and chapels burned down by the predominantly Muslim army. But there is still no answer from Konaković, Izetbegović or Nikšić. They remain silent. They know that their army destroyed Serbian Christian places of worship," the Committee said. Referring to a statement signed by Bosniak leaders in Sarajevo in March under the auspices of the Islamic Community in BiH, in which they claimed that their army had "protected the religious buildings of other peoples," the Committee asked Bosniak politicians who destroyed the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vozuća, built by King Dragutin in the 14th century. The Committee said that Vozuća was occupied in 1995 by the "El Mujahideen" detachment. The Committee also asked who destroyed the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Osredak near Cazin, built in the ninth century, noting that the area was controlled by the 101st Muslim Brigade. "Who destroyed the Orthodox chapel in the Lučani settlement near Zenica?" the Committee asked, adding that Zenica was controlled by the Seventh Muslim Brigade. The Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Serbs in FBiH also asked Bosniak leaders who destroyed the Orthodox chapel in the Viduša settlement near Kakanj, which was controlled by the Kakanj Battalion of the Seventh Muslim Brigade.