Christmas in Belgrade

[Ivo Skoric]

ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE LATEST 
OUTPOUR OF RELIGIOUS
INTOLERANCE IN BELGRADE 



In the night between 24th and 25th of December, fifty-odd 
extremists
forcibly prevented the Anglican denomination in Belgrade from 
holding
their Christmas Eve mass, which has been a traditional rite, 
according to
the Gregorian calendar, in the chapel of the Orthodox cathedral in
Belgrade. The police stood aside passively and did not want to 
interfere,
so as to avoid an escalation of animosity – according to a 
statement that
was issued later. Moreover, the perpetrators turned a deaf ear to
Patriarch Pavle’s plea to allow the Anglican priest and his 
congregation
access into the church.  



This latest in a series of outpours of religious intolerance gives rise 
to
two questions:  



The first is addressed to the leading figures of the Serbian Orthodox
Church. 



Why did they not raise their voices earlier against the extremist 
groups’
activities that have been launching appeals for Orthodox rallying and
spreading exclusion, intolerance and hatred? The silence of the 
Church
dignitaries, marked by occasional encouragement of neo-fascist 
tendencies
invoking Orthodox tradition, even gave out the impression that there 
is
reason to draw a parallel between these para-religious formations 
and the
paramilitary and para-police formations that no long ago committed
numerous crimes in the theaters of war throughout our region, 
having
“slipped out of control”. It is a well-known fact nowadays that there 
did
not exist any random paramilitary formations, but that they were 
simply
executing the dictates (“dirty jobs”) of the current political, military
and police leadership. Therefore, the question arises, after whose 
orders
are the para-religious formations acting, like the one that manifested
itself on Christmas Eve in Belgrade? 



The second question is addressed to those in charge of the 
Ministry of
Internal Affairs: 



What can justify or explain the fear of the legal body of law and 
order
before a gang of fifty-odd extremists, who, by their conduct, smear 
the
picture of Belgrade in the eyes of the world public as a center of
exclusion, intolerance and hatred?  



Will giving way to intolerance, hatred and violence not backlash on 
those
who see Serbia as a prospective civilized and democratic country? 
Is it
not high time the democratic public mobilized against the surge of
neo-fascism? Tomorrow might be too late.  



Belgrade, 27th December 2002. 

Women in Black – Belgrade