Politika, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
August 23, 2000

BRUTISH BEHAVIOR OF KFOR MEMBERS IN NORTHERN KOSOVO

Danish soldiers beat prioress of Sokolica Monastery

KFOR's cynical explanation is that the soldiers thought she was an Egyptian
woman
because women in that country dress similarly to our nuns

Kosovska Mitrovica, August 22

The arrogant behavior of members of KFOR and the UNMIK police in the northern
part
of Kosovo during "routine" controls at permanent and temporary check-points has
exceeded all measure in recent days. For three days now hardly anyone can pass
along
the main road from Kosovska Mitrovica - Leposavic by the newly formed checkpoint
at
the spot called "Kod Simonide" ("At Simonida's"), held by Danish soldiers,
without
being subjected to mistreatment, a detailed search and beatings as well. Danish
soldiers at this check-point are especially rough toward the clergy. Recently
they
stopped the prioress of Sokolica Monastery, Mother Dr. Makarija (Obradovic), who
was
returning from Kraljevo to the monastery, and forced her to get out of the
automobile by beating her.

"They stopped me and since I could not understand what they were saying, I
answered
that I could communicate with them in either Serbian, or in the English, German,
Greek or Slovenian languages and I simply did not understand what they were
saying.
At that moment, one of the soldiers swung his arm and struck me on the neck.
Humiliated, in pain which caused me to see stars in the middle of the day, I
reacted
humanly, as any elderly woman would. I cried while they searched my automobile,"
the
prioress of Sokolica Monastery, Dr. Makarija, told us.

An artist herself and a former professer of Byzantine art at the Swedish Royal
Academy, Dr. Makarija was a professor of physical chemistry at the University of
Belgrade prior to taking her vows; for the past ten years, she has been the head
of
the one of the most renowned schools of iconography, besides Krska, which is
located
inside Sokolica Monastery, seven kilometers from Kosovska Mitrovica.

Even more ironically, she subsequently received a cynical explanation from KFOR
that
the Danish soldiers thought she was an Egyptian woman because women of that
country
wear black dresses similiar to the robes worn by Christian Orthodox nuns.

M. L.

Translated by S. Lazovic (August 23, 2000)