MEHMED PASA'S MOSQUE IN TITOV VELES SET ON FIRE

AIM,Skopje, March 18, 1994

On March 11-th of this year, around 2:00 a.m. ( a day before the beginning of the great Muslim festival - Ramadan Bairam), a unique mosque in Veles ( a town not far from Skopje) was set on fire. In its official report, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Macedonia, indicated that all the available data lead to the conclusion that an unidentified person or persons set the mosque on fire and that the Ministry had taken all the required steps to find the perpetrators of this vandalistic act.

As we have been informed, the entire mosque burned down. This deed caused particular concern and annoyance among the Muslim citizens, who to date, have been the target of various other provocations as well. The Islamic Religious Community pointed out in its statement that it was rather odd that only the mosque burned down and not the adjoining buildings too. This only shows that the arson was well organized and calculated.

Various political parties voiced their condemnation of this act,indicating that it was high time the Government undertook something to protect Muslim places of worship. In their statements, previous cases were mentioned, such as the one when the Macedonian Orthodox church placed crosses on the Muslim Clock Towers in Bitolj and Prilep. These are buildings constructed in oriental style which have nothing in common with the Orthodox religion. Of all the Macedonin parties, only the MAAk raised its voice, expressing its regret due to the burning down of a place of worship, the "Mehmed Pasa" mosque in Veles. It was emphasized in this Party's statement that the century old tradition of protecting places of worship in these spaces, must be preserved regardless of the circumstances.

Who needs such provocations at a time like this, when it is clear where such things may lead, especially in the light of the events in Bosnia and Herzegovina.? The citizens of Macedonia are asking themselves this question today much more frequently than before, since they are aware that elections are to be held soon, when undoubtedly there were bound to be various abuses of a nationalist nature. If many things can be written off to ignorance and disorientation, explosion of passions due to various previous forms of repression and the like at the beginning of the democratization process, the repetition of the same kind of behaviour would now mean that it was becoming part of the political system, and when the system is at work - then it is very difficult to avoid a catastrophe.

The charred remnants of the "Mehmed Pasa" mosque are the last warning to all people of reason to undertake something. As far as the unreasonable are concerned, they will continue to do as they see fit. After all, in these spaces reason and madness have been running a dead heat race. Who will be the winner of that race in Macedonia, is still uncertain - at least until there are those who are capable of setting on fire places of worship that are in no one's way.

KIM MEHMETI