October 12th 2006
Independence could trigger tragic consequences for Europe
MOSCOW, Oct 12 (Tanjug) - Raska and Prizren Bishop Artemije of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) warned on Thursday that if Kosovo and Metohija were granted independence, this could trigger tragic consequences throughout Europe.
"I would compare the independence of Kosovo with a malignant toumor that is spreading and which could affect both its surrounding regions and the entire Europe," Bishop Artemije told reporters in the Interfax news agency in Moscow.
According to him, seven years after the deployment of the international troops in the province, it has become a black hole rife with crime, narcotics trade, arms smuggling and human trafficking.
"An independent Kosovo would become a base for extremist forces, and its separation from Serbia would result in the annihilation of the Christian community and the erasing of all traces of the 1000-year history of Christianity," Bishop Artemije set out.
He pointed out that since the arrival of the international forces, over 150 orthodox churches and monasteries have been demolished, and more than 400 mosques have been built from funds supplied by Saudi Arabia and the other Persian Gulf countries.
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