Amerikanka.net

If any Serbs are reading this blog (and I hope some are), please read this great article by Rosemary Bailey Brown. She’s married to a Serb ex-pat. While Rosemary has a unique perspective on things, she missteps comparing the histories of the two countries. Serbia is an OLD country; the U.S. is a very young country, relatively speaking. We can’t claim roots that go back to the 10th Century. Plus, it’s a bit disengenuous to think that Serbs want to befriend America or even to understand it. Their kneejerk reaction to a country that unilaterally and without provocation bombed them, bombed their highways and byways, power plants, electrical sources, water sources, radio towers (Avala, anyone?) is abject hatred and who can blame them?

I may be one of those small handful — two percent — of Americans who even know anything about Serbia and because I do, I’ve managed to delve into quite a bit of its history, and particularly into what really went on in the 1990s. Our country, along with Western mainstream media, has swept just about all of this right under the rug. They have reason to. What our country did was wrong and there is no excuse for it. And because of that, I’m ashamed to be an American.

But YOU have a chance to make a difference in how the majority of Americans view Serbia. And in how Serbia views the U.S. Myself? I have been fortunate enough to get to know a great Serbian man. I’d LOVE to think that most Serbs are like him, honest, forthright, gentle, decent, loyal, kind. He accepts me even though I’m sure he’s not happy about what my country did to his. But we got past that. Maybe others can too. Pozdrav!

Podgorica, Montenegro Thirty four people have sustained injuries after riots broke out in the Montenegrin capital city of Podgorica. Opposition supporters gathered to protest against Montenegro’s recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign state. Thousands carried Serbian flags of various shapes and forms and banners proclaiming “KOSOVO IS SERBIA,” “MONTENEGRO IS ALWAYS WITH SERBIA,” “TRAITORS,” “HONOR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVERYTHING.” His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral (of the Serbian Orthodox Church) said that the day Montenegro recognized Kosovo was “the darkest day in Montenegro’s history.” The rally was peaceful but loud, for the most part.

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The UN General Assembly voted today on Serbia’s resolution that the International Court of Justice will decide on the legality of the independence of Kosovo. 77 countries voted yes (in favor of Serbia), 6 voted no (against the Serbian resolution), and 74 countries abstained. The votes of the
countries that abstained did not count in the voting.

The United States and Albania were among the six countries that did not support Serbia. Serbia got the support of five EU countries, most of the African and Asian countries, while the UK, France and some other Western countries abstained. Countries derived from the former Yugoslavia also abstained.

The delegation of Kosovo did not attend the session, since Kosovo is not a member of the UN. Thus, the delegation from Pristina had to wait outside the room.

In the discussion, the French representative said that Kosovo is a “done issue,” and that 48 countries have recognized Kosovo. [Ed. Note: There is none so blind as he who will not see.] The reaction from the South African representative was that 144 countries have not recognized Kosovo, and that thus this issue is not closed.

Svetlana’s Byzantine Sacred Art Blog, powered by Movable Type has been rechristened De-Construct, gotten a design makeover, is using WordPress (woo-hoo!) and sports a new Internet address De-Construct.net. So adjust your bookmarks, and head on over. It’s been totally revamped and is running a slick magazine-style format. And as always, it’s got great, great, great information about politics and other issues affecting Southeastern Europe.

Congrats to Ana Ivanovic for winning her first Grand Slam in the French Open yesterday.

Photo source: FutureTennisStars.com

From my friend in Belgrade… thanks, Petar, for the pictures and narrative!

Russia’s Dima Bilan won the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest held in Belgrade. Maria Serifovic, last year’s winner from Serbia, handed him the flowers. Next year, Moscow will host the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time ever. An unusual thing is that Bilan sang barefoot and (almost) shirtless. In Russia, he has already become a national hero.

The Eurovision fireworks in Belgrade were spectacular - at Branko’s bridge, Kalemegdan, in front of the City Hall, outside the Belgrade Arena, and even inside the Belgrade Arena.

Thousands of people partied in front of the Belgrade City Hall. Eurovision 2008 was held on the 20th, 22nd, and 24th of May in Belgrade and about 20,000 foreigners came to the Serbian capital, and Belgrade became a city of major social events for those few days. All this took place at the White Palace, at the Communist-styled building known now as the Palace of Serbia (Palata Srbije - ex-Palata federacije), at the Sava Center, and at various embassies and clubs. Everyone had a good time and no incidents were reported.

My friend, [Petar], wrote a very eloquent email about what Serbia, Kosovo, and being a Serb means to him. Several have asked permission to republish it. He has graciously consented to that and I want to share with you his story, in his words. [Some personally identifying information has been omitted to protect privacy.]

Walter has asked a bit more about me so here it is.

Democratic Party - DS (Boris Tadic’s party):

The decision of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica… is in accordance with democratic principles and democratic values. The Democratic Party thinks this is the best solution.

Serbian Radical Party - SRS - the largest opposition party:

The decision of Prime Minister Kostunica was expected, especially since he yesterday said that he no longer trusts his coalition partners.

New Serbia - NS - Coalition with Kostunica:

The move of the Prime Minister was good and logical.

G17 Plus - Coalition with Kostunica:

The move of Prime Minister Kostunica was honorable, democratic, and the only rational one at this moment.

Socialist Party of Serbia (of former President Slobodan Milosevic), opposition party:

This decision is not good for Serbia because Serbia will be without its bodies of state and without a Government at the time we should be struggling on the international scene to defend Kosovo and Metohija and help Serbs in the Province.

Liberal Democratic Party - LDP - opposition party:

We want to finish the job we started on 5 October 2000 (when Milosevic was removed from power), and we want to take Serbia from Milosevic’s road that Kostunica took Serbia back on, to the road established by the late Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic (Serbia in the EU).

Most Kosovo Serb leaders have expressed concern that Serbia will “waste precious time on elections, at the time when it should be focused on the number one issue - Kosovo and Metohija” (Milan Ivanovic), and that Kosovo “might not be the first on the agenda anymore” ~~ Marko Jaksic, Oliver Ivanovic.

Sources: R T S

Translated by Alex.