Page 793 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

in Mala Kruša and Orahovac graves are being defiled in the same manner, wooden crosses scattered around, the fence broken and scattered around. Moreover in Mala Kruša three gravestone monuments have been broken.
Recently three marble gravestone monuments were broken in the village of Ljutoglava near Prizren (we are for- warding a photograph of one of them).
On the property of Devič Monastery in the night be- tween November 10 and 11, 1982, seven stacks of hay and autumn grass were set on fire and burned and one stack of straw. as a result, how to feed the livestock has become a problem.
in the monastery of the Holy Trinity near Mušutište alija Bitići from this village allowed 50 goats onto the mon- astery meadow and clover, and on a stack of hay. When the sisters reminded him to drive the livestock away he not only refused to do so but grabbed a rock and threatened the sisters if they attempt to drive the livestock away them- selves.
it is with regret that we inform you of everything that is happening to us through no fault of our own and to every- one’s shame.”116
in regard to this report by Bishop Pavle, the Holy Synod of Bishops wrote the Commissions for Relations with Reli- gious Communities of the Federal executive Council, the executive Council of SR Serbia and the executive Council of SaP Kosovo, asking for intervention that would stop the actions of albanian irredentists toward the Serbian Ortho- dox Church, her property and faithful on the territory of the Diocese of Raška and Prizren.”117
Not long after this report His Grace Bishop Pavle in act No 375 from September 19, 1983 wrote to the Holy Synod that he sent an act of the following content to the Commis- sion for Relations with Religious Communities in Priština:
“We have received the following report from the ad- ministration of the monastery of the Holy Trinity near Mu- šutište:
a nun from the monastery, Heruvima Branković, went to the village of Mušutište on monastery business. it was hot and she grew tired as she walked, all the more since she is a chronic heart patient. as she drew near the school in Mušutište she was followed by children of albanian na- tionality on their way to school who began to laugh. She continued on without paying attention to them. Then they began to spit at her. When she finally turned around near the school entrance in front of the store, the children threw themselves at her and pulled on her robes to knock her down. There were some people in the store. Whether they saw this happening or not, they did nothing to help the sister. She barely managed to escape. She believes that the children were first-or second-graders, and there were about 10–12 of them.
116 AHSB, Syn No 2494/zap. 789/82.
117 AHSB, Syn No 1396/1983.
We have received information from Devič Monastery that a month ago someone set fire to their fence around the vineyard and forest. it was day and they managed to put out the fire.
informing the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities of this matter, we ask that something be done so that the monasteries and their sisters be spared from the violencebeingcarriedoutevenbysmallschoolchildren.”118
The Year 1984
Bishop Pavle in act No 398 from September 10, 1984 wrote to the Holy Synod of Bishops:
“as published in the daily newspapers and broadcast on television, nine stacks of hay were set on fire on the prop- erty of Devič Monastery at about 11:00 p.m. on august 7, 1984, just like two years ago. The fire was observed by a passerby, who informed police. The police arrived in the monastery at about 2:30 a.m. and alerted the sisters after first informing firefighters in Titova Mitrovica. When the sisters ran to the property and began to put out the fire, the firefighters also arrived. Not all the hay burned but what is left is unsuitable for feeding the livestock.
The next morning all of the following came to the scene: the investigative judge from Titova Mitrovica, members of SUP, presidents of the Commission for Relations with Re- ligious Communities of SR Serbia and SaP Kosovo and others. Competent officials declared that the monastery would be compensated for damages. This promise has been partially kept. according to the administration of Devič Monastery, two stacks of hay and six stacks of clover were delivered. But the clover cannot be used to feed sheep, lambs and calves because it was rained on after it was mowed, turned black and the leaves fell off. The Commis- sion still has not come to evaluate the value of this hay and clover. i will inform the Holy Synod of Bishops of the out- come.
in addition to this damage done to Devič Monastery, albanian nationalists at the same time committed other misdeeds in this region. One night earlier, august 6, 1984, the corncrib and granary of Radoje Šmigić, an Orthodox Serb from the village of Drenik near Klina (Metohija) was set on fire. approximately 6,000 kg. of dry corn on the cob was lost, as well as many other agricultural items and tools. Damage is estimated at 1,000,000 new dinars.
at the same time, an Orthodox Serb woman in Belo Polje near Peć was raped. The woman is 54 years old. Five days earlier, august 2, 1984, a 12 year-old girl was raped when she came from Titova Mitrovica to visit her uncle in the village of Ljubenić. The perpetrators of both acts of vio- lence were albanians, one 18 and the other 50 years of age.
118 AHSB, Syn No 2165/1983.
The Suffering and Persecution in Kosovo and Metohija from 1945 to 2005
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