Page 771 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

The Year 1969
The administration of Devič Monastery with its act No 25 from april 25, 1969, wrote to Serbian Patriarch German.
“The administration of Devič Monastery, as a cultural- historical monument which is under the protection of the state, is submitting the following complaint and asking for protection.
Devič Monastery is located in the so-called Devič des- ert, five kilometers distant from its municipality of Srbica. Our property is located half a kilometer from Devič itself. every year, beginning in the spring, we have disputes with the surrounding villages, which are several kilometers dis- tant from Devič. We have submitted complaints, appeals and reports but all in vain.
Here is what happened on april 4, 1969. i had gone out to the property to show them where they were to sow. On that same day at about 12 noon i set out for Devič. Since there is a shortcut over the property called She-Bear’s Creek where we have a entrance gate made of sticks, that is the exit i took and turned with my back toward the road that leads to Rezalo, i closed the gate. at that moment, i felt a strong blow behind my bad with a gnarled staff across my left arm—because i have no right arm. The blow was so strong that i lost all sensation in my arm and practically fainted. i began to cry and call for help while he continued to beat me on the arm, back, knees; i had no strength to defend myself. Calling for help, i cried and shouted for help. if a shepherd from Vojvodići had not seen me and rushed to my aid, the son of adem Deljević from Rezalo would, i believe, have killed me because he hit me so mercilessly and furiously that my one arm bled in several places from the strength of the blow, and i was drenched in blood just from the several wounds on my arm. He hit my chest and back until i was black and blue. The same man hit me over the knees, the legs so that i could not defend myself had i wanted to. Hearing my cries my sisters who were on the property ran to me and a laborer but he had beaten me up well by then. i was taken to the monastery to be taken to the physician. While he, seeing that i had gone, lunged at the sisters, threatening to kill them. The sisters stood firm and told him, go ahead, hit us but the rock he held in his hand fell and he disappeared in the direction of Rezalo. i was taken by car to Srbica first to the National police. i was received bleeding and black and blue by the police com- mander, who heard me and ordered that the man be ar- rested. From the police commander i went to the physi- cian. The physician examined me, washed the blood off, gave me an injection, wrapped my arm, placed a splint and referred me to Kosovska Mitrovica Hospital for an X-ray because he suspected that a bone might be broken. They determined it was fractured, re-bandaged it, and gave med- ication for further treatment. i spent 15 days laying in bed with pains in my chest, arm and entire body. i received in- jections because i was in terrible pain and was running a
fever, as my lungs were injured, all the more so because i suffered previous lung trauma. i am still receiving injec- tions for my lungs, which have since become inflamed. i have taken to the police the physician’s certificate attesting i sustained “serious bodily injury.” On my part i have taken no other measures. Whether the police have done so, i do not know; they said they would.
ifimaybesofreeastonotethatthisisnotthefirstin- cident. On May 28, 1968, i submitted a written request to the Municipal Committee and the police in Srbica against the sons of Osman azem Deljević from Rezalo, who also attacked me—the elder of Devič Monastery, abbess Para- skeva, beat her with a stick, then forced their way into the apartment of our workers and their young wives, demand- ing the bell removed from the cattle, which had been caught on our property making damage. if any man dared entered any of their houses, blood would have been spilled but they felt free to enter. The police understood measures but they say they are not afraid of the police, that they will report them to the committee for protecting Devič.
On june 13 i went out to the meadows, when i was near our water mill, i was approached by the same son of Os- man azem Deljević from Rezalo who fought with me on May 28, 1968, who grabbed me by the arm and twisted me, almost breaking me, when a young man ran up and shout- ed, ’No, for God’s sake, what are you doing’. i immediately called our laborers who were mowing the meadows and the sisters in the garden; when he saw them he ran away. Two days later they warned me not to go out to the prop- erty because they intended to kill me. i filed a report, the police came from Srbica, then they came from Priština, called them, talked, begged, tried to convince them not to do such things, not to make damage, not to harass the sis- ters, to look after their cattle instead of allowing it to de- stroy the garden, the meadows, the wheat, the orchard and all the property. it was of no use.
after that, good people brought it to my attention that they were restless, that they would kill me. in March, when they also came from Priština, i told them that the same family was threatening to kill me. They tried to convince me not to be afraid because this was not true. However, what happened on april 4, 1969; they turned their inten- tion into action.
i do not know what to do or to whom to appeal and whom to beg because despite all our appeals and complaints they have practically crippled me with something that will stay with me as long as i am alive. i am, first of all, of the weaker sex; second, i am an invalid without a right arm; i am 60 years old, a chronic lung patient; with the exception of my arm all my illness are from tireless work with my sisters on the restoration of this great ’cultural-historical monument’ which is under the protection of the state, and which was formerly destroyed to the foundation. We came to ashes and bare rock, and today it is built and restored for those who wish to come. Yes, but unfortunately from the
The Suffering and Persecution in Kosovo and Metohija from 1945 to 2005
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