In her latest interview for RADIO-Television of Kosovo, Mrs. Eleonora Visoka Weller, a candidate for doctoral studies in historical management at the University of Cambridge, presented, for the umpteenth time, a series of untrue and ill-intentioned and one-sided statements, which not only do not contribute to the reconciliation of ethnic communities in Kosovo and Metohija and the protection of cultural heritage, but additionally lead to the escalation of ethnic tensions and threaten the security of religious buildings of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Otherwise, Velerova does not deserve a review of her statements, which speak for themselves. Nevertheless, a reaction is necessary because it is about attitudes that, through Albanian politicians in Kosovo and certain media, have become a generally accepted narrative in the context of a general campaign of everything that has to do with the Serbian people and culture in this area.

Mrs. Visoka Weller, originally from Kosovo, called into question the management of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, showing that, as a person with a degree from Cambridge, she does not understand the concept of private property, religious freedom and the separation of the Church from state institutions as key postulates of modern democracy. This statement, which undermines the right to use private property, for the sake of self-sustainability of the SPC monastery (agriculture and animal husbandry), reflects the retrograde intention of the Kosovo authorities from 2015 to declare all the property of the SPC "state property of Kosovo". The Kosovo authorities then, under international pressure, gave up on this law, which is reminiscent of the communist times in Albania, where the state confiscated all the property of churches and religious communities.

In the continuation of the interview, Mrs. Weller also puts forward the thesis that the still unfinished Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior in Pristina is not actually a church, because it has no historical significance and represents, according to her, "violence from the 90s" and that only because it was built during the time of Slobodan Milošević . There have been disputes about that church for years, and it has been desecrated, used as a public toilet by some passers-by, and currently the Serbian Orthodox Church, without any legal basis, is being challenged by the Kosovo institutions, even though the church owns the land and the building itself. cadastrally, it still represents the property of the SPC. With this position, Velerova directly denies the property rights of the SPC and incites violence against religious buildings with malicious claims, because during the time of Milošević, thousands of Albanian buildings were built, the rights of which are not contested by anyone, and the Yugoslav authorities did not build this church, but the Eparchy of Raškoprizren with the faithful people, whom then, before the ethnic cleansing, there were 40,000 people in the city of Pristina, and now only ten elderly people. Such arbitrary statements by a person who expresses her nationalist views under the cover of her Cambridge degree speak for themselves about her academic credibility.

For the sake of objectivity, it should be mentioned that Mrs. Weller made a public claim, just a few days ago, that the property issue of the Visoki Dečani monastery, which was finally decided by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo in 2016. and 8 years was unexecuted "part of the legacy of the Serbian occupation of Kosovo", which directly calls into question the legality of the court verdict and thus negates the 700 years of history of this monastery. https://kosovapress.com/en/weller-per-manastirin-e-decanit-mbetet-toke-e-kosoves-vendimi-i-kushtetueses-i-jep-fund-debatit-politik

Mrs. In recent years, Weller has directly denied in public the threat to the Visoki Dečani monastery, a monument on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, which, due to 4 armed attacks by local Albanian extremists, is under the permanent protection of KFOR peacekeeping forces and the only religious building under permanent NATO military protection. In this context, in 2021, Velerova harshly accused the leading European organization for the protection of cultural heritage, EUROPA NOSTRA, on social media, stating that by including the Visoki Dečani monastery in the list of the most endangered monuments in Europe, this organization "raises tensions and creates ethnic divisions" https:// klankosova-tv.translate.goog/weller-europa-nostra-po-ngrit-tensione-rreth-manastirit-te-decanit/?_x_tr_sl=sq&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

That same year, Mrs. Weller tried to impose herself uninvited as a participant in the International Cultural Conference in Peja and then accused the organizer of the conference, the organization ILLUCIDARE PLAYGROUND and CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHOUT BORDERS, of "censorship" because she was not allowed to speak uninvited about the Serbian Orthodox Church, having obviously in the form of her one-sided and nationalistic views on cultural heritage.

https://prishtinainsight.com/censorship-accusation-mars-heritage-conference-in-peja-mag/

From all that has been said, it can be clearly concluded that, regardless of her education in the field of archaeology, Mrs. Weller neither professionally nor morally represents an objective and benevolent expert for cultural heritage related to the Serbian Orthodox Church, and her, not at all benevolent attitudes, deeply endanger inter-ethnic and religious relations in Kosovo and Metohija and directly incite ethnic and religious hatred that is only in the post-war period from 1999, it led to the destruction of 150 churches and monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo by Albanian extremists.

Such one-sided and aggressive attitudes, which are spread on the public information service RTK and other Kosovo media, once again confirm the need for comprehensive and effective protection of the holy places of the Serbian Orthodox Church with strong international guarantees, and where necessary, the protection of KFOR forces.

Eparchy of Raška-Prizren Serbian Orthodox Church

April 5, 2024

Source: https://eparhija-prizren.com/