"A Prayer for Peace, Stability and Justice"

October 21st, 2023

Conrad Hotel, Washington, DC

By expelling the abbot of the Devina voda monastery, Fotije, without any legal basis, in a brutal way, a signal is being sent that Albin Kurti wants not only the expulsion of all Serbs from Kosovo, but also the obliteration of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbia's Ambassador to the US Marko Djuric stated for Kosovo online.

He said that he would inform the US government about the expulsion of Abbot Fotije, about the violations of the basic religious rights of Serbs in Kosovo and about the oppression of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

"Something like that in the 21st century, anywhere in the world, is something that requires a sharp reaction from the international community," Djuric emphasized in Washington, where a conference dedicated to Kosovo is being held, organized by the Embassy of Serbia.

Djuric expressed his belief that the USA did not support such actions by Pristina and that through its representatives they would find a way to send a clear message to the regime of Albin Kurti that this was unacceptable.

Before the start of the meeting, the Eastern American Bishop Irinej told Kosovo Online that the deportation of the abbot of the monastery near Zvecan is "a horrible thing".

"And here in the USA we have to promote the position of our Church, our people. This is important, because if we do not present this truth, who will? We must not hide in a mouse hole, but go out in public, to speak about ourselves, the church ... When people hear that, the idea of the SOC changes ...", added Bishop Irinej.

The Serbian Orthodox Church is the majority land owner in Kosovo, which is why they don't want the presence of the SOC there. Wherever there are monasteries, churches, priests, and monks, they are not welcome because they demonstrate the Church's centuries-old presence in that area, Bishop Irinej of Eastern America stated.

He, speaking at the gathering dedicated to Kosovo in Washington, organized by the Embassy of Serbia in the United States, reminded that the Serbian community in the US understood the cause for which it was uniting.

"If you look at the names we use for our province, we don't speak of Kosovo, but of Kosovo and Metohija, with 'Metohija' meaning ecclesiastical property in Greek. The Church is the majority owner of the land in Kosovo and Metohija, which is why they don't want the presence of the SOC," Bishop Irinej noted.

He stressed that it was essential for all people from the diaspora to be ambassadors for their country regarding the pressing issue of Kosovo.

"We need friends. We need to rebuild relationships. Everyone should ask themselves what they can do, and each of us can do a lot," Bishop Irinej stated.

He reminded that the SOC's participation in the Vienna negotiations prevented the establishment of a new so-called Kosovo Orthodox Church, which would have violated the Church's canonical rules. Additionally, he said the proposal that monastery abbots and bishops had to be of Kosovo origin, had also been blocked.

"With the help of US Senator George Voinovich, we managed to prevent the destruction of Gracanica and Visoki Decani Monastery during the Pogrom. One person succeeded in preventing that. Everyone has their political representatives, local congressmen, speak with them. Arm yourselves with the truth, and knowledge. Do something; you vote for them and have the right to demand what you want for your people. Others do this; they are proactive. If we do that, we will be able to move forward," Bishop Irinej said.

He stated that Congresswoman Claudia Tenney had told him how challenging it was to defend the Serbs because of the media's image and to convince her colleagues that the Serbs were good people.

"She knows the Serbs very well; she's trying to convince her colleagues, but she can't do it alone. She needs help. We have the Serbs living in her district, and my intention is to invite her to the church to express our gratitude.

Helen Delich Bentley from Baltimore is an example for everyone with her perseverance. When I go to church, I think about whether we can nurture a congressman, a judge, or a president. That's our task. My appeal is that we go together, hand in hand. Together we are stronger," Bishop Irinej said.

The Serbian diaspora in the USA currently does not have a representative in Congress and will not become politically stronger if there is no individual political engagement, Branko Terzic, the former commissioner of the US Federal Energy Commission of Serbian origin, pointed out in Washington.

At a conference dedicated to Kosovo, organized by the Embassy of Serbia in the USA, Terzic called on his compatriots to join political parties, primarily the ruling ones, from the local level, because that way they decide who will represent them in the institutions.

"Then you should support the candidate, with your work or financially. I helped, and when that candidate became a senator, he later supported me. It is a long-term process, which cannot happen overnight, but when you have your candidate, you can present your problems to him," said Terzic.

He recalled Republican Senator George Vojinovic, who was Mayor of Cleveland before becoming a senator and two-term Governor of Ohio, as well as Helen Delich Bentley, a journalist who also entered politics.

"We should support our Serbian candidates. Parties are open to new members. I am the first Serbian immigrant to be appointed by a senator," he added.

He illustrated how important it is to get involved politically in order to solve the problems of the community, as well as the home country, by quoting a Greek proverb that says "if you don't take an interest in politics, politics will take an interest in you".

"It is not easy to be a candidate and enter the election race for a high position, but it is feasible. Each of you can become a candidate", said Terzic.

The well-known motivational speaker of Serbian origin, Nick Vujicic, in a video address, said that it was time for Christians to start being political.

"The priority is for America to know the truth. Serbs should not continue to be considered bad. We need each other," said Vujicic.

The truth about Kosovo needs to "break through", and that truth is that children, innocent victims, are suffering in Kosovo today, and the Serbs are being arrested simply because they are Serbs and for wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a Serbian monastery, Arnaud Gouillon, Director of the Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and the Serbs in the Region, warned today in Washington.

Gouillon, at the conference "Prayer for peace, stability, and justice", dedicated to Kosovo and organized by the Embassy of Serbia in the USA, stated that this gathering was essential to present to the broader public what was happening in Kosovo.

"People in the Diaspora are our ambassadors. This means that people's diplomacy, which exists alongside the state, plays an extremely important role. You are familiar with the US mentality and how they react. Therefore, we need to talk about what is happening today in Kosovo and Metohija, but also about the past. Everything that is happening today is a consequence of the past," Gouillon said.

He stated that the Serbs had lived for five centuries in the Ottoman Empire, and they had survived thanks to the church and the sense of history that had been passed down from generation to generation.

"That's why there are still Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, they have not disappeared, nor have they been assimilated," Gouillon said.

He recalled that at the beginning of this year, on Christmas Eve, a Serbian boy had been wounded in Kosovo.

"When you see that picture, it touches everyone. It touches the French, Americans, and English. We need to talk about it. We must tell that truth. The truth is that today, children, innocent victims, are suffering in Kosovo and Metohija, and the Serbs are being arrested just because they are Serbs, for wearing a T-shirt with a Serbian monastery. The truth needs to break through," Gouillon said.

He recounted how he had started helping the Serbs in Kosovo a few years ago, by collecting aid by selling pastries.

"We managed to gather around 12,000 French families around our idea. Each of us can do that. It requires continuity because nothing happens overnight. Continuity on a daily basis, over the years. The truth will come to the surface, and it is up to us to make it happen as soon as possible," Gouillon emphasized.

He thanked Ambassador Marko Djuric for organizing the event, adding that this was the second gathering of the Serbian diaspora in six months, which was a significant achievement.

"No one has done anything like that. It shows the state's care for the Serbian diaspora," Gouillon added.

Source: www.kosovo-online.com

• His Excellency Marko Djuric, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the USA
• His Grace the Right Reverend Irinej, Bishop of Eastern America, the Serbian Orthodox Church
• The Honorable Branko Terzic, Former Commissioner, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Arnaud Gouillon, Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Belgrade
• Nick Vujicic, Serbian-Australian-American motivational speaker
• Nikola Kabasic, Former Kosovo and Metohija Supreme Court Justice
• Dalibor Jevtic, Mayor of Strpce, a city in a Serb-majority enclave in the south of Kosovo and Metohija
• Nebojša Arsić, PhD, Rector of the University of Pristina in Kosovska Mitrovica
• Daniel Vajdich, Yorktown Solutions
• Kathy Fanslow, “Our Serbs” Charitable Organization, Chicago
• Dusan Kozarev, Former Deputy Director of Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija; Minister Counselor at the Embassy of Serbia.