French media writes about “Bethacy” between Kosovo and Serbia for ownership of Orthodox Churches

This is the complete text translated without interference:

In the heart of Pristina, stands a large unfinished Orthodox church designed by Slobodan Milosevic's former ultra-nationalist regime. Her door is locked and inside serves as a refuge for stray dogs.

The controversial temple, located at a university campus near the national library, is considered by Kosovo authorities as physical evidence of “genocide targets” of the late former Belgrade member “who wanted to wipe out the Kosovo Albanian community, its culture and its history”.

More than two decades after the deadly struggle between Albanian pro-independence forces and Serbian forces (1998-99), Kosovo claims sovereignty over its entire territory, including responsibility for the Serb Orthodox Church's churches and monasteries (KOS).

The question is explosive: Serbia never recognised Kosovo's independence in 2008 and considers it the historic cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy, home to some of its most important monastery.

Construction of the Pristina church began during the Milosevic regime in 1992, at a time when Albanian teachers and students were excluded from the educational system after revoted Kosovo's autonomy status.

This church must be destroyed because it is specifically built to encourage Albanians to leave Kosovo,” says Jahir Islami, a 77-year-old retired worker.

A fierce legal battle is currently under way between the church and the university, which seeks to regain the land.

In June, the Serbian Orthodox clergyman from Kosovo celebrated the first liturgy in the country before a crowd of people, angering Pristina. The next day, inscriptions appeared at the church door. “Jesus hates Serbs,” he said.

Graffiti was quickly erased by authorities, who had denounced a <x0-provocation” of Serbia. Instead, the Church accused Kosovo of wanting to “hide the degree of hatred and discrimination” against it.

“Everything can happen, they have already torn down churches, put oil on them to set fire,”, Tomislav Markovic, an 80-year-old retired Serb.

On the contrary, Pristina ensures that there are no more tensions and that the situation is not comparable to the time when a rumor could cause turmoil.

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For this reason, Kosovo's new prime minister, Albin Kurti, has asked U NESTO to remove four Orthodox monasteries from its endangered heritage list, in which they are marked due to “political instability”.

But Kosovo also requested from U NESTO to prove that the “state responsible for the four monuments is Kosovo and not Serbia, because in fact they are on the territory of the Republic of Kosovo”, Culture Minister Hajrula Ceku told AFP.

According to the minister, the last serious incident against an Orthodox church occurred in 2007. In 2020, out of 57 incidents, the overwhelming majority of nonethnic or religious robberies, eight occurred in Orthodox countries and 45 in Muslim countries, according to police in Kosovo.

In fact, KFOR, the NATO force responsible for territorial security, continues to defend only the 14th century Decani monastery. Previously, he protected all important sites.

The “is a very important indication that the situation is much better than in the past”, said Italian General Franco Federic, former commander of this security force.

But Serbia rejects these arguments. Pristina “wants to present Kosovo as an oaz of peace”, said Petar Petkovic, head of Serbia's Kosovo office.

When Kurti says he wants to protect Serbian churches, I want to remind you that since 1999 more than 135 churches and monasteries have been burned and destroyed, he added.

The leaders of the Islamic community responded by saying 225 of the 600 mosques were vandalised during the conflict.

Minister Ceku says he has invited local Orthodox clergymen for dialogue, but has so far received no answers.

The Serbian government's “ “Milosheviqi used the church to physically reinforce the separation lines between communities.” Belgrade now uses it “to seek some property rights on the territory of what is now a sovereign and independent country,” he added.

The Serbian Orthodox Church has not answered the AFP questions.

Meanwhile, in Pristina many oppose church destruction and prefer it to become a place of memory.