Michael Sells' Myopia
sa...@mail.idt.net
213 Serbian churches were destroyed in this war while Michael
Sells seem incapable of writing about the majority of them.
Demagogues have no place in humanitarian organizations
especially associating with a Bosnian one. True scholarship
is corrupted when people of Michael Sells ilk takes sides and
pretends to be only interested in freedom and justice. Then
get out of the finger pointing business, Michael! And, if you
are truly a dispassionate observer, stop taking sides!
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'Dogs, Serbs and Jews Not Allowed,'
was the slogan painted on Serbian houses
by Croats and Muslims in Bosnia in 1992.
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There are 212 Serbian churches destroyed in this war. This is
only a partial list placed in alphabetic order for easier
reference.
BRATINJANI in the Pakrac municipality. The Serbian Orthodox
Church of St. Dimitrius the Martyr was built in 1739 and the
iconostasis was created about 1747. The priest, Fr. Stanoje
Popovic, one of the leading masters of popular fresco painting
in the first half of the 18th century was the painter. In
1991, Croatian terrorists and civilians carried out the
complete destruction of this church.
BELO BERDO
The Serbian church of St. Nicholas built in 1764 was taken
over during the Second World War and converted to a Roman
Catholic church. After destroying the iconostasis and
religious objects, the Croatians returned the church. In
1991, outside war maneuvers, this church was severely damages,
it artifacts were once again destroyed.
BJELOVAR
The Serbian Cathedral was built in 1784. when the iconostasis
of Jovan Cetirevic Grabovan was relocated, the new iconostasis
was painted by Celestin Medovic and Bela Cikos in 1902.
Interior frescos were painted by I. Tisov and H. Hohnejc. The
church was a registered landmark. In 1991 the church was
gutted by the Croatian militia along with the parish center.
BOLC
In the Zagreb-Ljubljana Diocese, the Serbian Orthodox Church
of Sts. Gabriel and Michael the Archangels was built in 1975.
Its cultural goods included a printed venetian Book of Psalms,
dated in 1642. The church was listed as a world-class
landmark. In 1991, the church was damaged and its interior
was gutted with explosives. This damage was done outside war
maneuvers.
BRCANAC
In the Dalmatian Diocese. The Serbian church of The Apostles
Sts. Peter and Paul was built in the 18th century and was
renovated in 1805. In 1991 the church was damaged during war
maneuvers. the extent of damage has not been assessed as the
Serbians have been prohibited from seeing the property.
BRESDIN, Croatia
The Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel the Archangel was
built in 1750. A new belfry was built by Anton Semper in
1834. The iconostasis was painted by Marko Peros. The church
was renovated in 1983. In 1991, the belfry was damaged, as
was the front facade of the church, destroyed by dynamite.
DALJ, Croatia
In the Karlovac Diocese, the Serbian Orthodox Church of St.
Dimitrius the Martyr, the bishopric cathedral was built in
1799. It was one of the most monumental late Baroque churches
in the Karlovac diocese. The iconostasis was painted by Pavel
Djurkovic, one of the leading representatives of Serbian
classicism-Biedermeier painting. The iconostasis was
concluded in 1822, and the art work was finished in 1824. In
1942, the church was demolished and the iconostasis was
burned. The demolition was led by Roman Catholic priest Josip
Astalos. The rebuilt structure was again attacked in 1991,
and the church facade was damaged.
DALJ
The Serbian church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Virgin
was built by Metropolitan Pavle Nenadovic in 1759. The
iconostasis was painted by leading Serbian Baroque masters
Vasilije Ostojic and Dimitrije Bacevic. In 1941 this church
was the first church of the Osjecko Polje Diocese to be
destroyed in the First Independent State of Croatia. The
church furnishings were destroyed, along with most of the
iconostasis, while only the upper parts were saved. The chapel
was renovated in the postwar period. In 1991, Croatian
militia mined the en trace to the church. It has not been
possible to confirm the extent of the current damage.
DARDA
The Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel was
built in 1777. The iconostasis and church furnishings date to
the time the structure was built. In 1991, the Croatian
militia damaged the church facade with shells. The extent of
the damage is not fully known.
DERVENTA
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1992. Fr. Nikodin Cavic, a retired
Serbian Orthodox priests and lawyer gave testimony that he was
in a building surrounded by Bosnian Muslims who captured him
and several local citizens including a number of children.
The Muslims raped children as young as six years of age, then
murdered and dismembered them. Dozens of Serbian children in
the village were slaughtered that day, many of whom were cut
into numerous pieces.
DOLJANI
In the Slavonia Diocese of Croatia. The Serbian Orthodox
Church of St. Elijah was built in 1805 and renovated in 1904
and 1979. The parapet tiles of the iconostasis had depictions
of Tsar Lazar, Tsarina Milica and the 9 Jugovics. During the
Second World War on August 2, 1943, on the day the church's
saint's day, Croatians destroyed the walls, roof and
structure, belfry window and doors. The wood carved
iconostasis, ceremonial objects, books and the archives were
all destroyed; only one chalice and two candlesticks were
saved. The church was completely restored during the postwar
period. In 1991, during war maneuvers, the church was
completely destroyed along with the iconostasis and the
furnishings and ceremonial objects.
DONJI BOGICEVCI
Slavonia Diocese in Croatia. The Serbian church of the
Resurrection Of The Lord was build in the second half of the
18th century. The iconostasis contained 24 icons from that
period. In 1943, the church was completely destroyed,
including all religious objects, leaving walls of only several
meters in height. A new church was constructed on the old
foundation during the postwar period. In 1991, Croatian
militia severely damaged the church. The bell tower was
destroyed and the facade was eliminated. The iconostasis and
furnishings were ruined and only a few small icons survived.
DONJI ZEMUNIK
In the Dalmatia Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of St.
Sava began construction just before the Second World War and
was completed during the postwar years. On April 1, 1991, the
church was demolished. Icons and religious objects are
missing from the church.
DRNIS
Dalmatia Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of the
Dormition of the Most Holy Virgin was originally built in 1618
and was replaced by a new building in 1905. During the Second
World War, Friar Petar Berkovic led the desecration of the
church-looting it of its religious objects, particularly the
liturgy books. In 1991, the church was considerably damaged
during war maneuvers and the belfry was shelled.
GABOS
The Serbian Orthodox Church of The Birth of the Most Holy
Virgin was built in 1810. The iconostasis belongs to the
category of popular naive art and, according to the records,
was painted in 1844. In 1991, during war operations, the
church was shelled and hit four times destroying the bell
tower completely and causing great damage to the structure.
GLINA
Gornji Karlovac Diocese. The Serbian church of the Birth of
the Most Holy Virgin was constructed in 1826 in the reigning
spirit of classicism. On August 12, 1941, the Ustashi
completely burned the church with hundreds of Serbian
villagers inside. In 1963, a completely new church was built
on the foundation of the old church. In 1991, the Croatian
militia bombed the facade destroying the front half of the
church.
GORNJA OBREZA
Slavonia Diocese of Croatia. The Serbian Orthodox Church of
St. John the Apostle was built in 1747. The iconostasis was
painted in the second half of the 18th century by an unknown
fresco painter who inscribed the icons in Greek letters,
indicating his origin. An inventory compiled in 1874
indicates that the church altar had 5 icons and the
iconostasis contained 50 icons. In 1991, Croatian militia
completely burned and destroyed the church and all of its
contents.
GORNJI PETROVCI
The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection of the Lord
was built in 1769. The iconostasis paintings belong to the
popular art from the first half of the 19th century. There
were painted in a fresco style that can be ascribed to Bogdan
Djukic. The altar area and naos walls contain depictions of
saints painted on canvas and blued to the walls. In 1991, the
church was shelled and the belfry cap wand naos root structure
were damaged.
GORNJI TOVARNIK
The Serbian Orthodox Church of St. George the Martyr was built
by master builder Petar Suvakovic in 1797. The walls and the
choir loft paintings were done by Petar Cortanovic, according
to the contract signed in 1834. The iconostasis paintings
appeared in the mid 19th century. The Virgin's icon contains
the founderąs inscription signed in 1853 by Jovan Isajlovic
the Younger. The church was renovated in 1903, at which time
Stevan Todorovic painted two wall compositions as evidenced by
the inscription on the western wall of the church. In 1942,
the church was damaged and looted, and the archives and books
were completely destroyed. The church was restored in postwar
periods. In 1991, the church tower was hit by several shells.
The walls are cracked and the frescoes were damaged. The
iconostasis and church furnishings were ruined.
GOSPIC
In the Gornji Karlovac Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church
of St. George was built in 1785. The iconostasis was painted
in 1902 and the work was accomplished by Professor Bauer from
Zagreb. In 1942, the church was burned to the ground with
several hundred Serbian villagers inside. All church
furnishings were destroyed. In 19064, the church was rebuild
on the same site. In 1991, the Croatian Ustashi again
destroyed the church-but, since the Serbs were cleansed from
the village, its is not possible to confirm the extent of the
current damage.
GRUBISNO POILJE
In the Zagreb-Ljubljana Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church
was built in 1776 and renovated in 1829. Serbian Orthodox
Bishop Sofronije Jovanovic dedicated the epitaphios in 1750.
During the Second World War, Croatian Ustashi damaged the
church and seven old manuscripts were destroyed. The church
was renovated in postwar periods. The Church of St. George
was the first of the Croatian targets during WW II. The
church doors were sealed by Croat special police on august 15,
1991 and the parish priest was prohibited from moving about
without a police permit. The majority of the Serbian
population was cleansed by the Croatian National Guard, ŚBlack
Shirts' led by Stojan Sustin, a CDU activist who harassed and
eliminated many Serbs. Most fled. Nearly all of the Serbian
homes in the area were dynamited while this area was
supposedly under UNPROFOR protection. The Croats used 16,000
National Guard troops, 100 artillery weapons and 36 tanks,
raiding 20 Serbian settlements and villages. Nearly 1,200
Serbs fled to Belgrade as refugees.
IMOTSKI
Dalmatia Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of the
Dormition of the Most Holy Virgin was built in 1720 and
renovated in 1884. On October 9, 1991, Croatian militia
bombed the church. The roof collapsed and the walls cracked.
The main doors were blown off, stone floor slabs flew out of
their positions and the windows fell out. The iconostasis and
other church furnishings were destroyed.
JAGODNJA
Dalmatia Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Simeon
the Stylite was built in the 18th century and renovated in
1869. During WW II, the church was partially damaged and the
register book and church objects were damaged. In 1991, the
church facade was bombed and damaged. The extend of interior
damage can not be verified at this time.
KAKO KOD BOLCA
Zagreb-Ljubljana Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of St.
Nicholas dates from the end of the 18th century and was
recently renovated. In 1991, the facade was bombed and
damaged with machine-gun fire. There is no reliable data
regarding other damage at this time. The church is under the
control of Croatian forces.
KARLOVAC
Located along the Korana River, southwest of Zagreb. In the
fall of 1990, while the body of His Grace Bishop Simeon lay in
state, the diocesan residence was ransacked several times by
Croatian mobs. The church flag at haft mast was ripped from
the flagpole and burned in the town center. The Serbian
clergy was abused. The walls of the St. Nicholas Church were
defaced with profanity. The old church and the Serbian
cathedral were vandalized. The international Red Cross
established a transit center for refugees in this church
structure, but current data about its condition are
unavailable. The Karlovac Diocese Treasury contains icons,
books and valuables that were removed from the Orthodox
churches in this diocese during the Second World War. They
were returned to the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1982 by the
Vatican and were displayed in the Serbian Diocese Museum. A
large collection of portraits of Gornji Karlovac Serbian
Orthodox bishops is kept in the diocese residence. In 1991,
Croatian militia forces broke into the diocese residence
taking these treasures to an unknown location. The Serbian
Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in 1785 by
Karlovac master builder Josip Stiler. The icons were painted
by Arsenije Teodorovic, the most prominent Serbian classicist
painter. Dragutin Inkiostri Medenjak decorated the walls. In
1991, the church was lightly damaged during war maneuvers.
However, on January 6th, 1992, on Eastern orthodox Christmas
eve, an explosion destroyed the church and all of its
contents.
KONJIC
Bosnia-Herzegovina in the north end of the Neretva River
valley. Muslim detention camp in the athletic arena and
military camp. On June 15, 1992, 13 Serbs were killed while
being detained. They are: Velimir Cecez, Vlado Cecez, Milos
Cecez, Dusan Cecez, Pero Cecez, Mirko Cecez, Predrag Kuljanin,
Tihomir Kuljanin, Rade Ninkovic, Mirko Ninkovic, Stevo
Ninkovic, Novica Zivak and Zeljko Cecez. As the most insulting
cultural genocide that can be perpetrated against the Serbs,
the Serbian Orthodox Church in Konjic was converted into a
public toilet.
KONJEVRATE
Dalmatia Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of St.
Dimitrius was built in 1864. In 1991 the church was shelled
during military maneuvers, but the extent of the damage can
not be verified.
KKOPRINVNA
The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Birth of the Most Holy
Virgin was one of the oldest preserved Serbian Orthodox
churches in the Osjecko Polje Diocese. It was built in the
Middle Ages and renovated in 1757. during WW II, the church
was converted into a Roman Catholic Church. At the time, the
iconostasis was destroyed, but the local people saved some of
the individual icons. IN the postwar period the church was
returned to the Serbian Orthodox people. However, many of the
icons remain at the Vatican. In 1991, the church was almost
completely destroyed along with all of its furnishings.
KOPRIVNICA
In the Zagreb-Ljubljana Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church
of the Holy Trinity was approved for construction on June 24,
1791 and it took three years to build. It was dedicated on
May 16, 1795. The iconostasis had 30 icons and dates from the
time of the Serbian Orthodox bishop Kiril Zivkovic and was
positioned in 1810. The wood carving was done by Joakim
Djakovic. The church was renovated in 1938. During WW II, the
Ustashi damaged the church which was restored in postwar
years. In 1991, the church was again damaged outside of war
maneuvers and was looted.
KOSTAJNICA
Gornji Karlovac Diocese. The Serbian Orthodox Church of Sts
Gabriel and Michael the Archangels was the old cathedral of
the former Kostajnica bishopric built in 1743. It was a
representative Baroque structure and its iconostasis was
painted by Ukrainian master, Vasilije Romanovic in 1759. The
church was almost completely destroyed in WWII however, some
sections of the old iconostasis were preserved. A new church
was built after the war and the remaining pieces of icons by
Vasilije Romanovic were placed in the church. The remaining
sections of icons are among the most valuable
cultural-artistic documents of the Serbian Baroque period. In
1991, the northwestern side of the church was shelled by the
Croats and the blast damaged these valuable pieces of art.
KUKUNJEVAC
The Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Paraskevi was built in 1782
on the foundation of an older wooden church. The iconostasis
was painted in 1896. During WW II, the church was completely
burned to the ground with 700 Serbs inside. The church was
rebuild along with a memorial center commemorating the
genocide of the Serbs. On October 9, 1991, the Croatian
militia bombed the church and memorial center completely
destroying these structures.
LOVSKA
The Serbian Orthodox Church of Theodore of Tyron was
constructed in 1786 and the iconostasis was painted in 1842.
In WW II, the church was damaged and all the ceremonial items,
books and archives were destroyed. The church was rebuilt in
postwar periods. In 1991, the Croatian militia did
considerable damage to the church, bombing it outside of any
war maneuvers.
MALI ZDENCI
The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Birth of the Most Holy
Virgin was build with logs and renovated in 1761. In 1942,
the church was partially demolished and most of the church
furnishings looted. After the war, the church was restored
and belonged to a list of first category of landmarks. In
1991, the church was again damaged outside of any war
maneuvers. On October 5, 1991, it was broken into and
demolished. Icons that survived WW II were removed from the
iconostasis and confiscated. The icons destroyed include
Christ on the Throne, painted in 1745, and two smaller icons,
the Virgin and Child and one of Jesus Christ.
MARKUSICA
The Serbian church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit was built
in 1810. A monumental single-nave structure with a tall
belfry was in the spirit of classicism. The iconostasis was
painted between 1775 and 1777, ascribed to painter Jovan
Isjlovic the Elder. The church was converted to a Roman
Catholic Church during the war and the iconostasis was
dismantled. The icons in the choir loft remained. The rest
of the church furnishings were preserved and returned to the
Serbs after the war. In 1991, the church was hit by several
shells and the tower was showered with machine gun fire. The
facade was destroyed along with the priceless stained glass
windows.
MEDARI
The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord
was built in 1777 and restored in 1834, it was a Baroque
structure and was considered the prettiest parish church in
the Pakrac area. During WW II, the Ustashas set fire to the
interior damaging most of the furnishings. Only a small number
of icons were saved. The church was restored in postwar
years. In 1991, Croatian militia struck the church with
several shells, and the northern wall of the naos was damaged
and the bell tower was destroyed. The interior of the church
was demolished with knives and axes.
MOSTAR
In addition to cleansing 30,000 Serbs from Mostar in 1992,
more than 4,000 Serbs were killed or listed as missing. The
first victim in Mostar was the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of
the Holy Trinity, it was considered one of the most
significant Orthodox structures in the region. It was listed
an international historical monument and its altar was the
tallest in the Balkans, a gift from the Russian Czar,
Alexander III. The church of the Virgin Mary, rebuilt in 1833
after it was destroyed by the Turks was this time destroyed by
Muslims and Croats in 1992. The Mostar bridge built by
Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 was the last historical
monument destroyed by the Croats in Mostar.
MUNJAVA
The Serbian Orthodox Church of Sts. Michael and Gabriel the
Archangels was built in 1838. It was completely destroyed in
WW II and was rebuilt in postwar years. In 1991, the Croatian
militia bombed the church and again severely damaged the
church.
NARTA
The Serbian Orthodox Church dedicated to St. George the Martyr
was constructed in 1694 and was renovated in 1781. The
iconostasis dates to 1839. It is listed as a first-class
world monument. In 1991, the church was damaged along with
the parish center but the extent of damage cannot be verify as
this property is in the hands of the Croatian militia.
NOVA GRADISKA
The Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity was built in
1736 and renovated in 1824 and again in 1885. On July 7, 1941
the church was burned and the remaining structure was declared
unfit and ordered razed by the Ustashi government. Serbs
interned in the Ustashi camp, Stara Gradiska, were brought to
demolish what remained of the church as a way of demoralizing
the Serbs. The iconostasis, dating from 1814, according to
archive material, was painted by Italian masters and was
destroyed along with most of the ceremonial objects. A new
church was built in 1982, designed by architect Dragomir Tadic
and was dedicated on October 3rd of that same year. The
archives, old books and a small number of icons that survived
the destruction in WW II were being kept in the bishopric
residence. The clergy was forced to abandon their residence
in 1991 thus the fate of the cultural movable objects is
unknown.
PAKRAC
The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral and Bishopąs residence was
totally destroyed in 1991. The Bishop's resident was
originally built in 1732 on the site of an earlier wooden
residence. The residence contained a chapel, the iconostasis
of which displayed a true little gallery of Serbian 18th
century art work. The salons displayed a gallery of portraits
of Serbian Orthodox Bishop Stefanovic, who was head of the
diocese from 1721-1743. some of these portraits were painted
by the post prominent Serbian artists; the portrait of Josif
Javanovic Sakabenta was the work of Teodor Ilic Cesljar, and
the monumental portrait of Serbian Orthodox Bishop Kiril
Zivkovic was painted by Arsenije Teodorovic. The residence was
declared a landmark of the highest category. In March, 1991,
all the priests were driven out. The bishop was mistreated by
Croat special police and made to stand naked in public. He
was then forced to move to a parish house in Slavanska Pozega.
Executives of the secondary school took over the church lands
for their own use. On April 23, 1991, the Orthodox Religious
book store was destroyed by Croats. Over 4,000 Serbian
refugees fled to Belgrade when the residence of the diocese
and the Cathedral church and seminary were shelled by Croat
forces. A machine gun nest was installed inside the residence
by Croat forces.
The Serbian Cathedral in Pakrac was built in 1757 and
completed in 1769 during the time of Bishop Arsenije
Radivojevic. The church was renovated several times, but the
most important renovation was carried out by Herman Bole in
1898 in the spirit of eclecticism which was prominent at the
time. A new iconostasis and other furnishings were also
placed in the church at the time of this renovation. during
the Second World War, the Ustashi broke into the church and
stole valuable ceremonial equipment and destroyed books and
the archives. The interior of the church was set on fire on
September 28, 1991. The iconostasis, icons, furnishings, were
all burned by Croatian militia.
The chapel of the Birth of the Most Holy Virgin in Pakrac was
built in 1672. Bishop Petronije Ljubibratic built the old
wooden structure and he was buried in it and since that time
it has served as the mausoleum of the Slavonian Serbian
Orthodox Bishops. The church was renovated in sturdier
material by Slovenian Bishop Gavrilo Popovic (1715-1716) and
was nicknamed Gavrinica after him. During WW II, the facade
was damaged and the interior was considerably demolished. the
majority of the old icons were destroyed and only the throne
Icons were saved. On September 28, 1991, on the same night
that the Cathedral church was burned the Croatian militia
destroyed this chapel, including all the church furnishings.
The iconostasis was preserved, although several icons were
ruined.
The Seminary building in Pakrac, built in 1850 which operated
from 1809 to 1871. After this time it was used by the Serbian
Teachersą College. It is a one-story building in classicist
style located next to the Serbian Cathedral. On the evening
of September 28, 1991, the Croatian militia burned the
structure to the ground.
The Serbian Orthodox Church of Sts. Peter and Paul was built
in the mid-18th century. It was dedicated on May 12, 1752 by
the Pakrac bishop Sofronije Jovanovic. The church was razed
to the ground by the Ustashi in 1942. At that time, the
iconostasis and church furnishings were completely destroyed.
A church dedicated to St. Dimitrius was rebuilt from this
foundation in 1969. In 1991, the church was severely damaged
and the parish center was completely destroyed.
Croatian HVO, aided and abetted by 15 retired American
generals, attacked Okucani and Pakrac on May 1st and 2nd,
1995, in which 4,000 Serbians were brutally exterminated.
Like the Vietnam War, this was another My Lai and American
fingerprints were all over this atrocity. The Holy Synod of
Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church released a document on
May 19, 1995, signed by Patriarch Pavle. In this document the
Patriarch disclosed that the Diocese of Slavonia which existed
without interruption since the 16th century, met with final
destruction‹the bishop now in exile, his clergy without a
single parish. The document also disclosed that Fr. Sava
Pocuca, a Serbian Orthodox priest, fled in an automobile with
a Serbian mother and her 4 children. The children were
dragged out of the car by the Croat military and their throats
slashed, before the mother was then shot. Fr. Pocuca was
sprayed with 7 bullets when he tried to intercede, he was left
for dead. He spent months in the Banja Luka hospital in
critical condition. He is not just a survivor, he is a
witness. He has given a statement indicating that hundreds of
Serbs were dragged from their cars and off of their wagons and
trucks and butchered like animals. He said it is an appalling
lie for the media to report that these Serbs were killed
because they were caught in 'cross fire.'
The document by the Holy Synod of Bishops indicates that on
May 11th, 1995, Fr. Lazo Dejanac, a Serbian Orthodox priest
who escaped to the Bosnian Krajina, died of a heart attack
because of the hardship he endured. Fr. Dejanac said he
witnessed appalling atrocities of decapitation, and brutal
slaughter. The nuns of the Monastery of St. Ann were
expelled and the monastery was looted. Based on the
testimonies of hundreds of witnesses who managed to escape,
the Synod of Bishops believe that the number of dead was
5,000. The corpses of these victims were disposed of by
cremation, their bloody traces were cleansed before officials
of UNPROFOR and other international humanitarian organizations
were allowed access to the sites of the crimes. One witness
appeared on Belgrade television Studio B and displayed
photographs showing Croatian tanks running over the bodies of
women and children. Robert Fox reported in the Daily
Telegraph on May 7th, that: 'While there were no bodies, in
Nova Varos, the whiff of decay was unmistakable despite hasty
attempts to expunge it with disinfectant.'
A document released by Helsinki Watch, corroborates that 1,100
wounded Serb soldiers were murdered by the Croats. There were
no injured Serbians in Croatian hospitals. Helsinki Watch
discovered the mass grave of these 1,100 Serbian soldiers and
believe that the mass grave contains the bodies of the 450
victims that the Croats admit to killing. At a time when
the Croats were telling the international press that Serbs
were being treated in a humane manner, it appears that they
were in the process of cleansing more than 10,000 Serbs from
the Slavonia region, destroying more than 150 Serbian villages
in their wake.
This posting unfortunately could go on and on endlessly until
all 96 Serbian churches destroyed in Croatia in 1991 are
cited. These churches were destroyed before a single person
lost their lives in Bosnia, yet no one lifted a single voice
to support the Serbs, ESPECIALLY THE OPPORTUNIST, MICHAEL
SELLS. When the war started in Bosnia the cultural genocide
continued until more than 120 more Serbian churches were
destroyed in Bosnia. Not a single newspaper in the west
reported on the destruction of these 212 Serbian Christian
houses of worship!
There are those who post on this net who insist that this war
is about aggression, an arrogant term meant to demonize the
Serbs who were also born on the soil that they defend. There
are those who insist that this war is about the political
rights to self determination, but the simple fact that Serbs
are denied the same right makes this argument spurious. But
the real foundation of this war was and is about religious
domination and forced conversion, by destroying churches and
mosques, if necessary. The Serbs know about this kind of
religious intolerance, they know, too, about forced
conversion, or conversion obtained through special political
favors, they suffered under 500 years of that kind of
oppression. Serbs also remember the term 'convert or die' and
many did.
I am saddened that democratic ideas were promoted by the west
while all three sides in this war resorted to cultural
genocide to achieve it. Aspiring to freedom and pluralism by
building a foundation erected on the ashes of churches and
mosques is a foundation built on sand. Like the lack of
justice 50 years ago in Yugoslavia, the current sands of
morality will be washed away until the next generation
acquires a sufficient amount of intolerance to justify killing
their neighbors, once again. Michael Sells will no doubt
be the leader of that crusade.
Michael Sells
> 213 Serbian churches were destroyed in this war while Michael
> Sells seem incapable of writing about the majority of them.
I congratulate you on your work in writing about Serb Churches destroyed
in Croatia. As you know, I support total prosecution of those who
destroyed religious monuments as part of cultural genocide, regardless of
the religion of the monument destroyed or the religion of the destroyer.
So what is your problem? I am writing about the genocide in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, and will continue to do so.
As for incapability of writing about the majority of monuments destroyed,
you bet! It will take many people many years to begin to write about the
monuments destroyed by criminals and religious nationalist bigots in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and elsewhere.
I've only been able to write in detail about two mosques destroyed in the
Republika Srpska: The Colored Mosque (Aladza dzamjia) of Foca and the
Ferhad Pasha mosque of Banja Luka, both masterworks constructed in the
16th century. I have left out any detailed writings of the estimated 1000
other mosques destroyed, the Tekkes, the regional libraries, the art
works, etc.
Of the Serb Churches destroyed, I have been able to write in detail about
only the great Zitomislici complex annihilated by the HVO.
I have not yet been able to write in detail about Catholic Churches
destroyed by RS vandals, but we are working on setting up a site on a
church in Banja Luka in memory of a priest there who has disappeared.
So here are the percentages of houses of worship I've written on in
Bosnia-Herzegovina:
Mosques destroyed by RS 2/approximately 800-1000
Mosques destroyed by HVO 2/approximately 300 (estimate)
Serb Orthodox Churches destroyed by HVO in Bosnia 1/approximately 200
(estimate) If you have an exact, count let us know.
Catholic Churches destroyed by RS 0/approximately a couple hundred.
After your graphic and repeated charges about the destruction of the Serb
library in Dubrovnik, I investigated it and found that according to the
Serb official in Dubrovnik, the books and library is not destroyed. I
posted a detailed discussion above. You have not responded.
As for your personal attacks, they say something about you, but are not as
original or distinctive as those of a certain Vaso who writes from your
same e-mail address (see Vanja-Vanja thread above) and seems to reflect
the "culture" from which these personal attacks are launched.
Michael Sells
Drazen Pozaric
> 213 Serbian churches were destroyed in this war while Michael
> Sells seem incapable of writing about the majority of them.
> Demagogues have no place in humanitarian organizations
> especially associating with a Bosnian one. True scholarship
> is corrupted when people of Michael Sells ilk takes sides and
> pretends to be only interested in freedom and justice. Then
> get out of the finger pointing business, Michael! And, if you
> are truly a dispassionate observer, stop taking sides!
Two-hundered-thirteen Serbian churches ? Gosh, I didn't know you got
them so many. And please, can you tell us the source to confirm your
quote ?
> 'Dogs, Serbs and Jews Not Allowed,'
> was the slogan painted on Serbian houses
> by Croats and Muslims in Bosnia in 1992.
"Bit ce mesa, bit ce mesa, klat cemo Hrvata" - vidjeno na prilogu TV
Novi Sad prilikom srpskog "oslobadjanja" Vukovara.