UNACCEPTABLE CARICATURE OF THE SERBIAN PATRIARCH IN HRVATSKI TJEDNIK WEEKLY

BELGRADE, December 6 /SRNA/ – Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dačić strongly condemned the offensive caricature of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia on the cover of Hrvatski tjednik weekly, calling it unacceptable and a deliberate mockery of symbols of the suffering of Serbs during the NDH.

Dačić states that Serbia will not remain silent when the suffering and historical facts about the genocide against Serbs in the NDH are mocked. He notes it is even more shocking that the offensive caricature was published on the very day of a conference on Jasenovac, the site of the worst suffering of the Serb people during the Second World War. Dačić emphasized that it is especially dangerous when symbols such as “the knife” or “the hand granade” are misused in the media, as these were associated during the NDH era with crimes against Serbs committed by certain Catholic clergy in support of the regime’s genocidal policies. “In contrast, the Orthodox Church has never supported such crimes and has throughout history been a protector of the people and victims,” said Dačić, who also serves as Serbia’s Minister of Interior. He stressed that such provocations contribute to nothing but fueling hatred and damaging relations in the region, the Serbia’s Ministry of Interior stated. Dačić says that any misuse of tragedy for political purposes is deeply offensive, and in this case deliberately provocative. “I strongly condemn this attempt to belittle the suffering. Anyone who contributes to spreading insults and creating new divisions must be aware of the consequences such behaviour can have for stability and relations in the region,” Dačić emphasized. He added that Serbia remains committed to peace, dialogue, and mutual respect. “But at the same time, we will clearly and firmly defend the truth and the dignity of our people. Our victims must not be mocked or reduced to a caricature,” Dačić said. The cover of Hrvatski tjednik featured a scandalous caricature depicting Patriarch Porfirije with a bloodied knife, accompanied by a call for a large rally against “Yugoslav Serb fascists.”