(srpskohrvatski / english)

[ Una intervista all'ambasciatore di SerbiaMontenegro presso il Vaticano, D=
arko
Tanaskovic, sull'imbarazzante tema della posizione assunta dalla Chiesa Ca=
ttolica
Apostolica Romana nei confronti dello sciovinismo pan-albanese e delle
persecuzioni religiose in KosovoMetohija.
Sullo stesso tema vedi anche:
RUGOVA THE CLOWN
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/decani/message/78361
RUGOVA SI CONVERTE AL CATTOLICESIMO
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/2984 ]


=== ENGLISH ===


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/decani/message/81721

The Albanians, Islam, Catholicism and the Serbs

NOTE: This interview with Dr. Darko Tanaskovic, the Serbia-Montenegro
ambassador in the Vatican, was published on February 2, 2004 in the Pristin=
a
Serbian language daily "Jedinstvo", which is published in the central part =
of Serbia
and distributed in the Serb enclaves in Kosovo and Metohija. The interview =
took
place prior to the tragic events of March 17 and it would be most interesti=
ng to
hear Ambassador Tanaskovic's views on the reactions of the Vatican and the =
Roman
Catholic Church, especially in Kosovo and Metohija, to these events.

By Slavica Djukic

Dr. Darko Tanaskovic, the Serbia-Montenegro ambassador in the Vatican,
responded to questions by "Jedinstvo's" reporter. At the same time, he emph=
asized
several lesser known factors of the ideology that has washed over the Alban=
ians in
Kosovo and Metohija - cleronationalism or ethnophiletism.

1. What is the true relation of the Roman Catholic Church toward the suffer=
ing of
Orthodox Christians in Kosovo and Metohija in your opinion, based on your w=
ork
and experience to date?

I don't harbor the illusion that I can offer a reliable answer to your inte=
rest in the
true relation of the Roman Catholic Church toward the suffering of Orthodox=

Christians in Kosovo and Metohija. In general, I think that all man can do =
is to
aspire to the knowledge of the complete and real truth about the objects an=
d
manifestation of this world, and that he should strive toward this persiste=
ntly and
ardently, while the ultimate range of his knowledge, as a rule, is conditio=
ned by
many limitations and shortcomings external as well as within him. In this c=
oncrete
case, the true relation of the Roman Catholic Church toward the difficult f=
ate of the
Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is a phenomenon complex and stratified by natu=
re
and must be examined on multiple, or at least no less than two, planes: as =
the
official position and posture of the Holy See, on the one hand, and the beh=
avior of
local representatives of the Catholic Church in the field, on the other. Bo=
th planes
are equally real or, if you prefer, true. Each in its own way.

As a diplomat in the Vatican without sufficient indirect and completely wit=
hout
direct knowledge of the state of inter-religious relations in Kosovo and Me=
tohija, it
is much easier, of course, for me to give an answer with respect to the off=
icial
position of the Holy See, and thus of the Catholic Church in the institutio=
nal sense.
It will be best to remind you and your readers of the words of the papal nu=
ncio in
Serbia-Montenegro, Monsignor Eugenio Sbarbara, who in a recent interview fo=
r
"Politika" (December 25, 2003) emphasized that the Holy See consistently su=
pports
peace in the world, that peace must be possible and obligatory for Kosovo a=
s well,
which depends on the will of the people and political organizations. He men=
tioned
that the Holy See, by its nature, cannot resolve crises such as the one in =
Kosovo;
however, this does not prevent it from appealing to those responsible in th=
e
international community "to enable all people to live together with their f=
amilies, in
their homes, in their villages and towns". Lest there be any doubt, he spec=
ifically
added that all this "understandably also applies to the Serbs in Kosovo". T=
his is the
official position and I have had the opportunity on several occasions to wi=
tness how
it is publicly supported by the highest dignitaries of the Holy See and by =
Vatican
officials.

Although I am less familiar with the issue, I will not avoid in our further=
discussion
to venture an opinion on the other, concrete, living plane of the relation =
of
representatives of the Catholic Church toward the Orthodox, that is, toward=
Serbs,
in Kosovo and Metohija, because I know that it is this aspect that readers,=
and our
public in general, find far more interesting. First of all, because it impa=
cts them
directly...

2. Why does the Roman Catholic Church show favor toward the Albanians while=

"failing to see" the suffering of the remaining Serb population in Kosovo a=
nd
Metohija and the displaced persons who cannot return to their centuries-old=
homes
because no one will guarantee their safety?

An important element of the answer lies in the fact that at a specific, cri=
tical
moment of the Kosovo and Metohija crisis the dominant, and certainly the mo=
st
influential, part of the international community showed unhidden, selective=
favor
toward the Albanians. This moment of pro-Albanian "political correctness" i=
s still
not completely over. As well, it should be kept in mind that a part of the =
Albanian
national corpus is Catholic by confession, while there have not been any Se=
rb
Catholics for some time. The Catholic Church demonstrates enhanced concern =
for
its faithful, which is understandable, and in the case of the Albanians, it=
sees them
as the base of its influence and missionary activity in the region, regardl=
ess of the
fact that, all told, less than ten percent of Albanians are Catholics, and =
in Kosovo
and Metohija, it is about two percent. Despite these, and other, motives wh=
ich
guide the approach of the Vatican and the Catholic Church, as a whole, to t=
he
situation in Kosovo and Metohija, I would say, in all honesty, that the Hol=
y See has
expressed an incomparably more balanced and principled position toward this=

phase of the Yugoslav crisis than toward any of its previous phases.

3. As early as last year Fr. Sava Janjic of Visoki Decani Monastery warned =
that this
relation is very contradictory because, on the one hand, in the Italian pre=
ss there
are more and more articles talking about the barbaric destruction of more t=
han 100
Orthodox churches in Kosovo and Metohija while, on the other hand, Roman
Catholic structures in the province are inciting, indirectly and directly, =
theories that
Orthodox Serbs are newcomers to Kosovo and Metohija, and that the most
significant Serbian churches and monasteries are Roman Catholic and Albania=
n.
How do you comment?

It is will great respect that I follow the tireless and precious activity o=
f Fr. Sava Janjic
and I am thus familiar with his justified warning. The manner in which you =
have
formulated this question offers me the opportunity to speak more concretely=

regarding the second, shall we say local and most lively plane of the relat=
ion of
members and clergy of the Catholic Church in Kosovo and Metohija toward the=

Serbian tragedy and toward Serbs in general. It is obvious that there is a =
serious
disjunction between the official positions and policies of the Holy See and=
the
behavior of the Catholic Church in the field which, logically, creates the =
impression
of contradiction (some would even say hypocrisy) in the general relation. I=
would
not go that far because even Pope John Paul II himself, in his address last=
year to
the delegation of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church,=

specifically called on Europe and the world to protect the valuable monumen=
ts of
Serbian spirituality and culture in Kosovo and Metohija from destruction, a=
nd there
have also been concrete actions by representatives of the Holy See toward t=
hat end
in the international community. Contradictions, nevertheless, do exist and =
they are
quite harmful. There are indications that this has been observed in the Vat=
ican,
tool. So what is the essence of the issue?

I would say that "Roman Catholic structures in the province", as you called=
them,
deviating from the universality of the Christian mission, are behaving firs=
t as
Albanians, and only then as Catholics. They are included in the realization=
of the
(Greater) Albanian national project, which is not acceptable as the purpose=
of
pastoral activity. The existence of tension on this issue within the Cathol=
ic ranks
could be recognized, for example, in the manner in which Dr. Endjell Sedaj,=
the
editor of the magazine "Dardania Sacra", found it necessary to react, under=
the
heading "Catholics in Kosovo are not threatened", in the newspaper "Danas" =

(January 22, 2004) to the Christmas interview of Belgrade archbishop Stanis=
lav
Hocevar given to a reporter of the same Belgrade daily. It did not help tha=
t
Monsignor Hocevar presented his thesis, that Catholics in Kosovo and Metohi=
ja are
threatened, in an extremely cautious and subtle fashion. What stands out as=
the
central message in Sedaj's entire plea is the shrill claim that the Apostol=
ic
administrature in Prizren "has absolutely no ties with the Belgrade archbis=
hopric"
but is the process of gaining independence from Skopje "in accordance with =
the
development of events and structural political changes". If we add to this =

information form Sedaj that Prizren bishop Mark Sopi "is actively participa=
ting in
the Albanian bishops' conference on common issues and for the good of the
faithful", it becomes more than clear what kind of "gaining of independence=
" we are
talking about. What is going on, therefore, is an accentuated ethnophiletis=
m (in the
past we would have called it cleronationalism) on the part of the clergy of=
the
Catholic Church among Kosovo and Metohija Albanians. To make the whole thin=
g
even more paradoxical, alleged extreme ethnophiletism is a tendency that so=
me
Catholics in the world are wont to hold against local Orthodox churches.

4. On what do Roman Catholic ideologues base such theories when historical =
facts
irrefutably disprove them?

You said yourself that they are ideologues. Therefore, on an ideology of an=

exclusively (Greater) Albanian nationalism. By definition there is no room =
here for
scientific objectivity. What is more, it can only get in the way.

5. Attempts to convert Orthodox Serbian holy shrines to Catholicism are har=
dly
innocent, especially if they are part of a long-term plan. What is the resp=
onse of the
Holy See on this issue?

I don't know of anyone in the Holy See specifically addressing these attemp=
ts at
falsification of the past and tendentious design of the future on the part =
of some
Albanian quasi-scientists. What we have here is a scientifically invalid
pseudotheory; however, I agree with you that in the somber Kosovo and Metoh=
ija
horizons of intrusive ontologization of general lies, this one may not be i=
nnocent.
Consequently, the process of continuation and completion of the demographic=
de-
Serbization of Kosovo and Metohija must not be permitted. For as the Serbia=
n
Patriarch, Kyr Pavle has said, "He who owns the sheep, owns the mountain (t=
hey
graze on)." Just as a reminder, for the Holy See Kosovo is officially an in=
tegral part
of Serbia, as borne out by the words of Monsignor Sbarbara in the aforement=
ioned
interview in "Politika".

6. DSK leader Ibrahim Rugova recently met with Pope John Paul II, the head =
of the
Roman Catholic Church, for the third time. He asked for help in realizing h=
is dream.
He returned not the least disappointed and convinced that he would enjoy th=
e favor
of the Holy See, in addition to that of the United States. How do you inter=
pret these
meetings?

Rugova's recent private audience with the Pope has been given almost no att=
ention
by Vatican and Catholic press and media which, of course, does not necessar=
ily
mean that it was an insignificant event. By their very nature, I cannot kno=
w what
was discussed during that very brief meeting but it is logical to assume th=
at
Ibrahim Rugova did not visit John Paul II to ask for his support in, for ex=
ample,
easing and speeding up the return of expelled Serbs to the province. Based =
on
information from Albanian sources, and according to Rugova himself, he was =

asked, among other things, for his blessing for the building of the Mother =
Teresa
Church in Pristina, and a desire was expressed for the Pope to be present a=
t its
consecration. In general, Rugova's frequent visits to Rome and the inapprop=
riate
protocol treatment given him by some Catholic circles (although not yet by =
the
State Secretariat of the Vatican) cannot but be suspect because this politi=
cian has
not been hiding his program for the realization of an "independent Kosovo" =
for a
long time.

7. The respected Italian daily "Corriere della serra" in November issue cal=
led Kosovo
president Rugova "the Balkan Gandhi". In an interview for the paper Rugova =
goes so
far as to say that officials of the Ottoman Empire converted some residents=
of
Kosovo and Metohija to Islam and that mosques "came later". How do you
comment?

This question leads us to the sensitive and complex problem of Catholic-Mus=
lim
relations in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as among the Albanian national co=
rpus in
general. The theme has multiple significance and is current but requires a =
more
comprehensive perspective and an in-depth analysis from those for who have =
room
to answer more than just one question. Rugova's statements regarding how th=
e
majority Islamization of originally Catholic Albanians represents a civiliz=
ational step
backwards for them are not new. I remember, for example, one of his books o=
f
interviews in French (with M-F. Allain and X. Galmiche), where "the Balkan =
Gandhi"
talks about mere "symbolic Islam" in the environment in which he grew up, a=
bout
not going to a mosque... There are some traces of Enver Hoxha's treatment o=
f
religion, especially Islam, in all this, but incomparably more conscious si=
tuational
choices for the purpose of creating the most positive "image" in the West. =
This
position of distancing from dominant Islam, characteristic for an entire gr=
oup of
Albanian intellectuals, has a deeper background and more far-reaching goals=
than
direct political opportunism and belongs to the sphere of searching for a s=
ynthetic
formula of modern Albanian national identity in which the Catholic componen=
t is
also extremely engaged. There is, namely, a very widespread "Islamist" theo=
ry
which cites the preservation of national specificity before Orthodox (Serbi=
an and
Greek) assimilation pressures as the decisive "merit" of the Islamization o=
f the
Albanians. As I have said, however, this theme transcends the framework of =
our
conversation. Let us remember one thing: regardless of all internal divisio=
ns, as far
as the fate of Kosovo and Metohija is concerned, both Albanian Muslims and =

Albanian Catholics are first of all Albanians. It appears that the only tru=
e lesson
from this has not yet been drawn...

April 15, 2004


=== SRPSKOHRVATSKI ===


Da: "Apis Group office" <apisinfo @ apisgroup.org>
Data: Sab 17 Apr 2004 11:19:47 Europe/Rome

Albanci, islam, katolicizam i Srbi

Slavica Djukic

Ambasador SCG u Vatikanu, Dr Darko Tanaskovic, odgovarao je na pitanja novi=
nara
lista "Jedinstvo". Tom prilikom, on je istakao neke manje poznate momente i=
z
ideologije koja je zapljusnula Albance na Kosovu i Metohiji – kleronacional=
izam ili
etnofiletizam.

1. Kakav je istinski odnos Rimokatolicke crkve prema stradanju pravoslavnih=

hriscana na Kosovu i Metohiji, prema Vasem misljenju, a na osnovu Vaseg
dosadasnjeg rada i iskustva?

Nemam iluziju da mogu ponuditi pouzdani odgovor na Vase zanimanje za istins=
ki
odnos Rimokatlicke crkve prema stradanju pravoslavnih hriscana na KiM. Uops=
te,
mislim da je coveku dato samo da tezi saznavanju pune i prave istine o stva=
rima i
pojavama ovoga sveta i da on tome uporno i usrdno treba da stremi, dok je k=
rajnji
domasaj njegove spoznaje po pravilu visestruko uslovljen mnogim ogranicenji=
ma i
nedostatnostima. van njega, ali i u njemu samome. U konkretnom slucaju, ist=
inski
odnos RKC prema teskom usudu Srba na Kosmetu fenomen je slozene i slojevite=

prirode i mora se sagledavati u vise, a najmanje u dve ravni: kao zvanicni =
stav i
drzanje Svete Stolice, s jedne, i ponasanje lokalnih predstavnika Katolicke=
crkve na
terenu, s druge strane.Obe ravni su podjednako stvarne i, ako hocete, istin=
ske.
Svaka na svoj nacin.

Kao diplomati u Vatikanu, bez dovoljno posrednog, a sasvim bez neposrednog
uvida u stanje medjureligijskih odnosa na Kosovu i Metohiji,lakse mi je, na=
ravno, da
dam odgovor u vezi sa zvanicnim postavljanjem Svete Stolice, a samim tim i =

Katolicke crkve u institucionalnom smislu. Najbolje ce biti da Vas i vase c=
itaoce
podsetim na reci apostolskog nuncija u Srbiji i Crnoj Gori, monsinjora Eudj=
enija
Sbarbara, koji je u skorasnjem intervju u "Politici" (25.12.2003) istakao d=
a se Sveta
Stolica dosledno zalaze za mir u svetu, da mir mora biti moguc i obavezan i=
za
Kosovo, sto zavisi od volje ljudi i politickih organizacija. Napomenuo je d=
a Sveta
Stolica, po svojopj prirodi, nije u mogucnosti da resava krize kao sto je k=
osovska,
sto je, medjutim, ne sprecava da apeluje na odgovorne u medjunarodnoj zajed=
nici
"da se svim ljudima omoguci da zive na okupu sa svojim porodicama, u svojim=

kucama, u svojim selima i gradovima". Da ne bi bilo sumnje, izricito je dod=
ao da se
sve to "razumljivo odnosi i na Srbe sa Kosova". Ovo je zvanicni stav i imao=
sam
priliku u vise navrata da se osvedocim kako ga najvisi dostojanstvenici Sve=
te Stolice
i vatikanski funkcioneri javno zastupaju.

Premda sam u to manje upucen, necu izbegavati da se u daljem razgovoru odre=
dim
i prema onoj drugoj, konkretnoj, zivotnoj ravni odnosa predstavnika Katolic=
ke
crkve prema pravoslavnima/Srbima na Kosmetu, jer znam da je, s razlogom, to=

aspekt koji citaoce, i nasu javnost uopste, neuporedivo vise zanima. Pre sv=
ega zato
sto ih neposredno pogadja...

2. Zasto Rimokatolicka crkva pokazuje naklonost prema Albancima, a "ne vidi=
"
patnje preostalog srpskog stanovnistva na Kosmetu i raseljenih koji ne mogu=
da se
vrate na svoja ognjista,jer im niko ne garantuje sigurnost?

Vazan elemenat odgovora sastoji se i u tome da je u odredjenom, kriticnom
trenutku kosmetske krize pretezni, a svakako onaj nauticajniji deo medjunar=
odne
zajednice iskazao neskrivenu, selektivnu naklonost prema Albancima. Taj tre=
nutak
proalbanske "politicke korektnosti" jos uvek nije sasvim prosao. Pored toga=
, ne
treba gubiti iz vida ni cinjenicu da je deo albanskog nacionalnog korpusa k=
atolicke
veroispovesti, dok Srba katolika vec odavno nema. Katolicka crkva ispoljava=

naglasenu brigu za svoje vernike, sto je razumljivo, a u slucaju Albanaca v=
idi ih i
kao uporiste svog uticaja i misionarskog delovanja u regionu, bez obzira na=
to sto
ih ukupno nema vise od desetak odsto, a na Kosmetu oko dva procenta. Uprkos=

ovim, i nekim drugim motivima, koji usmeravaju prilaz Vatikana i Katolicke =
crkve,
kao celine, kosmetskoj stvarnosti, rekao bih, istine radi, da je Sveta Stol=
ica u vezi s
ovim zaristem jugoslovenbske krize ispoljila neuporedivo uravnotezeniji i
principijelniji stav nego u njenim prethodnim fazama.

3. Jos prosle godine, protosindjel Sava Janjic iz manastira Visoki Decani u=
pozorio je
da je taj odnos veoma kontradiktoran, jer je, s jedne strane, u italijansko=
j stampi
sve vise clanaka u kojima se govori o varvarskom unistavanju vise od 100
pravoslavnih crkava na KiM, dok, s druge, rimokatolicke strukture u pokraji=
ni
indirektno ili direktno podsticu teorije da su pravoslavni Srbi dosljaci na=
Kosmetu i
da su najznacajnije srpske crkve i manastiri rimokatolicki i albanski. Kako=
to
komentarisete?

S velikim uvazavanjem pratim neumornu i dragocenu aktivnost oca Save Janjic=
a,
tako da su mi poznata njegova razlozna upozorenja. Nacinom na koji ste
formulisali ovo pitanje pruzili ste mi priliku da konkretnije progovorim i =
o onoj
drugoj, uslovno receno lokalnoj i najzivotnijoj ravni odnosa pripadnika i s=
vestenika
Katolicke crkve na Kosmetu prema srpskoj tragediji i prema Srbima uopste. O=
cito je
da izmedju zvanicnih stavova i politike Svete Stolice i ponasanja Katollcke=
crkve na
terenu postoji ozbiljan raskorak, sto logicno stvara utisak kontradiktornos=
ti (neki bi
rekli i dvolicnosti) ukupnog odnosa. Ja ne bih isao tako daleko, jer je cak=
i sam
papa Jovan Pavle II, obracajuci se prosle godine delegaciji Svetog arhijere=
jskog
sinoda SPC u Vatikanu, izricito pozvao Evropu i svet da zastite od unistava=
nja
vredne spomenike srpske duhovnosti i kulture na Kosmetu, a bilo je i konkre=
tnih
akcija predstavnika Svete Stolice na tom planu u medjunarodnoj zajednici.
Protivrecnost ipak postoji i nanosi n emalu stetu. Postoje indicije da je o=
na uocena i
u Vatikanu.U cemu je stvar?

Rekao bih da se, kako ih nazvaste, "rimokatolicke strukture u pokrajini",
odstupajuci od univerzalnosti hriscanske misije, ponasaju prvenstveno kao A=
lbanci,
a tek onda i kao katolici. Ukljuceni su u realizovanje (veliko)albanskog na=
cionalnog
projekta, sto ne bi smeo biti smisao pastirskog delovanja. Da tu ima varnic=
enja i
unutar katolickih redova moglo se prepoznati, recimo, u nacinu na koji je, =
pod
naslovom "Katolici na Kosovu nisu ugrozeni", urednik casopisa "Dardania sac=
ra", dr
Engjell Sedaj nasao za shodno da u listu "Danas" (22.01.2004) reaguje na bo=
zicni
intervju beogradskog nadbiskupa Stanislava Hocevara novinaru istog beograds=
kog
dnevnika. Nista monsinjoru Hocevaru nije vredelo to sto je svoju ocenu, da =
su
katolici na Kosovu i Metohiji ugrozeni, izneo krajnje obazrivo i nijansiran=
o. Iz
citavog Sedajevog pledoajea kao sredisnja poruka izbija reska tvrdnja da
Apostolska administratura u Prizrenu "apsolutno nema nikakve veze sa
Beogradskom nadbiskupijom", vec da se sada osamostaljuje u odnosu na Skoplj=
e,"u
skladu sa razvojem dogadjaja i strukturalnih politickih promena". Ako se re=
cenom
doda i Sedajeva informacija da prizrenski biskup Mark Sopi "aktivno ucestvu=
je u
Albanskoj biskupskoj konferenciji za zajednicke stvari i dobro vernika", po=
staje vise
nego jasno o kakvom je "osamostaljivanju" rec. Na delu je, dakle, izraziti =

etnofiletizam (nekad bi se u nas reklo: kleronacionalizam) svestenstva Kato=
licke
crkve u kosmetskih Albanaca, a navodni prekomerni etnofiletizam je, inace,d=
a sve
bude jos paradoksalnije, sklonost koju neki katolici u svetu rado zameraju =

pomesnim pravoslavnim crkvama.

4. Na cemu rimokatolicki ideolozi zasnivaju ovakve svoje teorije, kad ih is=
torijske
cinjenice nepobitno demantuju?

Pa sami ste rekli da su ideolozi. Dakle, na ideologiji iskljucivog (veliko)=
albanskog
nacionalizma. Za naucnu objektivnost tu, po definiciji, nema mesta. Stavise=
, ona
moze samo da smeta.

5. Pokusaji pokatolicenja pravoslavnih srpskih svetinja nisu nimalo bezazle=
ni,
narocito ako su isplanirani na duze staze. Kakav je odgovor Svete Stolice p=
o ovom
pitanju?

Nemam saznanja da se neko u Svetoj Stolici posebno oglasavao o ovakvim
pokusajima krivotvorenja proslosti i tendencioznog dizajniranja buducnosti =
od
strane nekih albanskih nadrinaucnika. Rec je o naucno nistavnoj kvaziteorij=
i, ali se
slazem s Vama da u sumornim kosovskometohijskim horizontima nametljivog
ontologizovanja sveopste lazi ni ova ne mora biti bezazlena. Ne sme se, sto=
ga,
dozvoliti nastavljanje i dovrsavanje procesa demografskog rasrbljivanja Kos=
ova i
Metohije. Jer, "koga ovce, onog i planina", kako rece patrijarh srpski, gos=
podin
Pavle.Da podsetim, a o tome svedoce i reci monsinjora Sbarbara u pomenutom =

intervjuu "Politici", za Svetu Stolicu Kosovo je zvanicno intergralni deo S=
rbije.

6. Lider DSK Ibrahim Rugova nedavno se po treci put susreo s papom Jovanom =

Pavlom Drugim, poglavarom Rimokatolicke crkve. Trazio je pomoc za
ostvarenje svog sna. Vratio se nimalo razocaran i ubedjen da ce, pored Amer=
ike,
imati i naklonost Svete Stolice. Kako Vi tumacite ove susrete?

Nedavnoj Rugovinoj privatnoj audijenciji kod Pape vatikanska i katolicka sr=
edstva
informisanja nisu posvetila gotovo nikakvu paznju, sto, naravno, uopste ne =
mora
znaciti da je rec o beznacajnom dogadjaju. Ja, po prirodi stvari, ne mogu z=
nati o
cemu se tokom tog veoma kratkog susreta razgovaralo, ali je logicno pretpos=
taviti
da Ibrahim Rugova nije pohodio Jovana Pavla Drugog da bi od njega zatrazio =

podrsku radi,recimo, olaksavanja i ubrzavanja povratka proteranih Srba u
pokrajinu. Na osnovu onoga sto se moglo saznati iz albanskih izvora, a i cu=
ti od
samog Rugove, zatrazen je,pored ostalog, blagoslov za izgradnju Crkve Majke=

Tereze u Pristini i izrazena zelja da Papa prisustvuje njenom osvecenju. Uo=
pste,
Rugovini ucestali boravci u Rimu i neprimereni protokolarni tretman koji mu=
se od
strane nekih katolickih krugova (zasad ne i Drzavnog sekretarijata Vatikana=
) daje,
ne mogu a da ne izazovu podozrenje, jer ovaj politicar svoj program ostvari=
vanja
"nezavisnog Kosova" odavno ne prikriva.

7. Ugledni italijanski dnevnik "Corriere della sera" u jednom novembarskom =
broju
predsednika Kosova I.Rugovu naziva "balkanskim Gandijem". Rugova u tom list=
u ide
tako daleko da govori kako su Osmanlije jedan broj zitelja Kosmeta preveli =
na islam
i da su dzamije "dosle kasnije". Kako to komentarisete?

Ovim pitanjem ulazimo u osetljivu i slozenu problematiku katolicko-musliman=
skih
odnosa na Kosmetu, ali i u albanskom nacionalnom korpusu uopste. Tema je
visestruko znacajna i aktualna, ali iziskuje obuhvatnije sagledavanje i pro=
dubljeniju
analizu od onih za koje prostor nudi odgovor na samo jedno pitanje. Rugovin=
e
izjave o tome da je vecinska islamizacija izvorno katolickih Albanaca za nj=
ih
predstavljala civilizacijsko unazadjenje nisu samo novijeg datuma. Secam se=
,
recimo, jedne njegove knjige-intervjua na francuskom jeziku ( s M-F. Allain=
i
X.Galmiche), gde "balkanski Gandi" govori o samo "simbolickom islamu" u
ambijentu svoga odrastanja, o neodlazenju u dzamiju... Ima u svemu ovome i
tragova enverhodzinskog tretiranja religije, a posebno islama, ali neupored=
ivo vise
svesnog konjunkturnog izbora, radi stvaranja sto povoljnijeg "imidza" na Za=
padu.
Ovaj stav distanciranja od dominantnog islama, karakteristican za citavu je=
dnu
grupaciju albanskih intelektualaca, ima i dublju pozadinu i dalekoseznije m=
ete od
neposrednog politikantskog oportunizma i pripada sferi traganja za sintetic=
kom
formulom modernog albanskog nacionalnog identiteta, u cemu je i katolicka
komponenta veoma angazovana. Postoji, naime, i veoma rasirena "islamisticka=
"
teza, koja kao odlucujucu istorijsku "zaslugu" islamizacije Albanaca navodi=

ocuvanje nacionalne specificnosti pred pravoslavnim (srpskim i grckim)
asimilatorskim pritiscima. Kao sto rekoh,medjutim, ovo je tema koja prevazi=
lazi
okvire naseg razgovora. Zapamtimo jedno: bez obzira na sve unutrasnje podel=
e,
kad je sudbina Kosmeta u pitanju, i albanski muslimani i albanski katolici =
su
prvenstveno Albanci. Izgleda da iz toga jos uvek nije izvucena ona jedina p=
rava
pouka...


NAPOMENA: Intervju sa dr Darkom Tanaskovicem, ambasadorom SCG u Vatikanu
objavljen je 2.februara 2004.godine u pristinskom dnevnom listu na srpskom =

jeziku "Jedinstvo" koji se stampa u centralnom delu Srbije i distribuira u =
srpskim
enklavama na Kosovu i Metohiji.

15.04.2004.