Serbia persecuting Romanian minority

While Serbs in Romania enjoy all their basic human rights, including religious, guaranteed by the Romanian constitution, unfortunately Romanians living in Timok, Serbia are prohibited to even pray in their own language. "Romanians living in Serbia do not have any basic human rights, being discriminated for even practicing their religion in their native language," writes one of the prestigious Romanian daily papers, Evenimentul Zilei. 

In the recent days, the prevailing opinion in the Balkans that Serbs and Romanians have excellent relations, is proving to be a farce. Apparently, the Serbian nationalism did not spare from persecution and discrimination the ethnic Romanian minority that lives in Timok, Serbia.

Here are the facts: in 2005, an ethnic Romanian of Serbia, Bojan Aleksandrovic was ordained by his Romanian Orthodox Bishop, his Highness, Daniil, and his property was turned into a church, a small religious community where ethnic Romanians would pray in their own language, baptize their newborns or mourn their deceased family members.  
 
Frightened by the poor Romanian Orthodox bishop who could possibly rejuvenate the national identity of these persecuted ethnic Romanians for decades, Serbian authorities reacted in a very violent fashion, again. Initially, they tried to crushingly suppress the church. It was not even important that the church was Orthodox. In fact, "protection of Orthodoxy" is a motto Serbs always display whenever it is in their personal interests.

On April 2006, a delegation of Serbian Orthodox Church visited Bucharest to reach an agreement, "with a jaw towards the sky and the other towards the ground," a Romanian colloquialism. Sometimes with threats, and sometimes with soft-talking words such as "Orthodox brothers," Serbs achieved their goal by removing the Diocese of Romanian Orthodox Episcopate from Vrscac (Vrsoara) in Serbia to Romania.

They [Serbs] even asked to modify the title of episcopate, while we [Romanians] also agreed to not accuse them for being intentionally negative on this issue against ethnic Romanians in Serbia. Hence, the Episcopate of Vrsac became Dacia Felix, a title inspired by our [Romanian] horrendous fate.

According to the agreement signed in Bucharest, Serbs agreed that they would take care of ethnic Romanians living in Timok Valley in Serbia, meaning that they would ordain bishops who speak Romanian.

Henceforth, so to speak, the negotiations seemed to be moving ahead when a poorly educated Romanian bishop was ordained as from an angel, who always gallantly appeared onto his Cossack as of a reformed confessor.  The ordained bishop, although he appeared to be a humble man, his deals with his Serbian Christian Orthodox friends to racketeer with electricity and wood products for construction became a very familiar habit.

Nevertheless, he kept his promise. But Serbs informed Bishop Bojan that they would excommunicate him from the right of preaching anymore. Motive? Because he gave his sermons in Romanian language! While ethnic Serbs in Romania enjoy their religious rights guaranteed by the state - have a Vicariat in Timisoara - the ethnic Romanians living in Timok Valley, in Serbia, are not allowed to pray in their native language. So much about human rights and religious rights in Serbia!

It is worth mentioning a bizarre statement of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle regarding the activation of the Romanian episcopates in Bassarabia (Republic of Moldavia): "The history of the reactivation of the Metropolitan of Bassarabia is part of the darkest periods of human kind - resembling to the period of Nazi occupation!"  

May God have mercy on those who consider Serbs as "brothers."

Daily ‘Evenimentul Zilei’ is published in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca with a circulation of 546,000.

Comments (6)

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Alex Pryde Jowsey said:

... I am from Australia and this is terrible what the Serbs are doing to the Romanian minority. I lived in Romania for few years and let me tell you that Romania has wonderful human rights freedoms and rights, one of my cousins works for the Human Rights Watch and he frequently comments on the advanced state of Romania's Democracy, in fact it was included in the Advanced Democracies Index alongside Bulgaria. Serbia is getting very bad in lots of things e.g. economy, human rights, tolerance etc. Its very bad for Serbia's image. I can see Romania becoming the "Superpower" of the Balkans and Eastern Europe in 5-10 years. I feel that Serbia needs to accept the reality of Kosovo's independence whether particular countries dont like it or do I think its time that Kosovo gets the chance to have freedom and peace with its neighbours.

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December 26, 2008
Votes: +0

Romanian said:

	... I am discussed! Our country should recognize Kosovo!!!
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September 17, 2008
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romanian said:

	... Serbs truly disgust me with their filthy nationalism. No matter who publishes, I am glad someone takes time to put this important human rights violation in english language. Kudos to NewKosovoReport reporters! http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/819597/EDITORIALUL-EVZ-Dragostea-sarbeasca/
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September 12, 2008
Votes: +1

george said:

	... god with us god with all world
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September 11, 2008
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Alba said:

	... @ BRANKA What do you mean we stole Kosova! You still daydreaming. The recognition is coming little by little, while your nation is shrinking, like NOKIA.
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September 11, 2008
Votes: +3

Branka said:

	... What utter rubbish. Must be hard for you to know that you have not achieved your goal of stealing Kosovo from the Serbs! No wonder you want to cause trouble elsewhere. Your English is pretty appalling too!
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September 11, 2008
Votes: -4