Desecrated Orthodox church in the Kolunic settlement near Bosanski Petrovac

In the night between 11th and 12th February 2009, unknown persons broke in and desecrated the Orthodox church in the Kolunic settlement near Bosanski Petrovac, which has caused great concern among the innumerous returning Serbs in that area of the Muslim-Croat entity, the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, report the media in the Republic of Srpska. At the same time, the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy there has communicated that unknown vandals have tried breaking in the St. Sava Cathedral in Drvar. The eparchy points out that in the last couple of years the attacks are continuing against everything Serb in that area, and especially the Orthodox temples, without culprits ever being found. During the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina the Bosniaks have destroyed of damaged all 12 churches in the region of Bosanski Petrovac, and only three have been renewed after the conflict. Before the war, there were 12,500 Serbs living there, and now 4,250 have returned from refugee dwelling. They live in very difficult conditions, as they are deprived of the right to work, and the school students are forbidden from the use of the Serbian language and Cyrillic alphabet.

Milan Perkovic

Source: Eparchy of Bihac and Petrovac