The Committee for the Protection of Serb Rights in the Federation of BiH has called on Bosniak political leaders to answer who destroyed dozens of Serbian Orthodox churches and chapels during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Committee said it has so far publicly raised questions about 23 churches and chapels but has received no response from Bosniak leaders.
“They know that their predominantly Muslim army burned and destroyed all the churches and chapels it could. Only in places where foreign journalists and UNPROFOR were present did they pretend to be good multiethnic politicians,” the Committee said in a statement.
The Committee said it had previously raised questions about Serbian Orthodox churches and chapels in Pozarnica near Tuzla, Biljesevo near Kakanj, the Cathedral Church in Mostar, Gradisce near Zenica, Stog and Cardak/Gostovic near Zavidovici, and Dubnica near Kalesija.
It also cited destroyed Serbian Orthodox holy sites in Gorazde, Majkic Japra, Milanovac, Kljevci, Budimlic Japra, Karaula near Kakanj, Mutnica near Zenica, Jelasinovci, Lipnik and Dabar.
“In the coming period, we will ask about dozens of churches and chapels that were burned by the predominantly Muslim army. But there are no answers from Konakovic, Izetbegovic or Niksic. They remain silent. They know that their army destroyed Serbian Christian places of worship,” the Committee stated.
Referring to a declaration signed by Bosniak leaders in Sarajevo in March under the auspices of the Islamic Community in BiH, which stated that their army had “protected the religious buildings of other peoples,” the Committee asked who destroyed the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Vozuca.
According to the Committee, the monastery was built by King Dragutin in the 14th century, while Vozuca was captured in 1995 by forces that included the El Mujahideen unit.
The Committee also asked who destroyed the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Osredak near Cazin, stating that the area was controlled by the 101st Muslim Brigade.
It further raised the issue of an Orthodox chapel in Lucani near Zenica, noting that Zenica was controlled by the Seventh Muslim Brigade.
The Committee for the Protection of Serb Rights in the Federation of BiH also asked Bosniak leaders who destroyed the Orthodox chapel in Vidusa near Kakanj, an area which, according to the Committee, was controlled by the Kakanj battalion of the Seventh Muslim Brigade.
Source: RTRS
