Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin – No. 233 – Wed 20 Aug 2003

—————————————- SERBIA: BOMB ATTACK ON CHRISTIAN CONCERT —————————————-

Every year the Church of God in Serbia and Montenegro runs a series of week-long youth camps at its camp site in Vrdnik, 90km (approx. 60 miles) north-west of Belgrade. A highlight of the camps is a public music concert held at the stage in the city centre. This event is officially approved by the authorities and has never drawn any complaints. This year however, an hour into the 8 August concert, someone severed the electricity cables with an axe. Power was eventually restored and an hour after the concert resumed, a small bomb was hurled into the concert area. Shrapnel was blown around the site and two cars were destroyed. Police confirmed that a ‘shock-bomb’ had been exploded, ‘three times stronger than a regular hand grenade’.

Forum 18 News Service (F18 – http://www.forum18.org/) monitors religious liberty and persecution in Eastern and Central Europe. The recent F18 list of attacks in 2002 against religious minorities in Serbia were primarily acts of church graffiti and vandalism, tombstone desecration, and verbal abuse, intimidation and harassment by Orthodox and fascist Serb nationalists. Whilst nobody was harmed, the very audacious attack on the Christian music concert on 8 August is a serious escalation in violence that could have resulted in many fatalities and injuries.

Decades, even centuries, of Balkans conflict (including the more recent NATO bombing) have left the Serbian nation sick. Fear, insecurity, and failure to deal with the past manifests as xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-West sentiment. This is basically an intolerance of all people and groups that are not Serb nationalist or aligned with Serb nationalist icons such as the Orthodox Church. The evangelical church is the main agent for healing and reconciliation in Serbia at present. However, the evangelical church is under attack as Serbia nurtures for political gain its culture of hate, rather than confront that culture, as a way to peace.

One problem is that the media are extremely politicised and little more than a tool for the political elite, for whom Serb nationalism is a popular vote winner. Another problem is lack of justice, or even condemnation. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia told F18, ‘When society does not react to hate speech in the media, and graffiti on church walls, the next things are events like these (bombings), which we condemn and ask the state to take measures against the perpetrators.’

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* Serbia’s political leaders (Proverbs 21:1) – Serbia and Montenegro’s President Svetozvar Marovic, – Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic, – Minister of Religious Affairs Dr Vojislav Milovanovic, – Minister of Justice Vladan Batic, – Minister of Culture and Media Branislv Lecic, that the Spirit of God will influence each of their hearts, giving them the political will and conviction to work towards reconciliation, tolerance, peace and national healing.

* a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit on the evangelical churches and Evangelical Alliance of Serbia, so their courage may be profound, their wisdom from above, and their words and actions powerful and effective; may they be true agents of healing for the nation.

‘Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare ask or even hope.’ Ephesians 3:20

* a powerful anointing of the Holy Spirit on the Serbian Orthodox Church, bringing renewal, reconciliation, and unity to the body of Christ. (Luke 1:37)

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ———————————————————— BOMB ATTACK ON CHRISTIAN CONCERT IN SERBIA

Serb nationalism continues to cause problems for evangelicals in Serbia. A culture of intolerance of people and groups that are not Serb nationalist or aligned with Serb nationalist icons such as the Orthodox Church is simply not being challenged. Throughout 2002 there were many attacks on religious minorities by Orthodox or fascist Serb nationalists. These attacks consisted mainly of church graffiti and vandalism, as well as abuse, intimidation and harassment of minorities. Most recently, a small bomb was hurled into a Christian public music concert on 8 August. Whilst no one was injured, this was a more audacious attack that could have claimed lives. Pray that Serb authorities will take measures to put an end to intolerance and persecution of minorities. Pray for strength, wisdom and unity for Serbian evangelicals.

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The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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