Heritage Group Tries to Weaken Serbian Culture; Wanted to Call Monasteries "Kosovo Monuments"

"Attempt that four Serbian monasteries of culture -- monasteries Pecka Patrijargija, Decani, Gracanica, and Bogorodica Ljeviska -- are renamed as 'Kosovo monuments' is the most flagrant violation of the international law and is a shameful attempt to support those who want to erase every trace of Serbian presence in Kosovo over centuries," Sladjana Prica, Serbian Deputy Minister for Multicultural Issues, told Blic website.

At the 35th annual session of the Committee for the World Heritage in Paris last week, Prica -- as representative of the Republic of Serbia -- had just one minute to persuade the participants that such a proposal was "unacceptable and shameful."

"The proposal was made by the Committee Secretariat because of huge pressure made on it. Among the countries leading in making that pressure were France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Australia," Prica said.

Prior Sava Decanski -- also from Serbia -- told Blic that taking away Serbian identity from its spiritual and historical monuments in Kosovo would mean "amputation of our historical remembering."

Kosovo seceded as a province in Serbia and declared itself an independent nation three years ago. Serbia -- a nation whose religion is primarily Eastern Orthodox Christian -- has several beautiful monasteries and churches in Kosovo, whose primary religion is Islam.