Oldest Orthodox church in Balkans (Serbian Orthodox Church) defaced

A 9th century Serb Orthodox Church in Novi Pazar was last night sprayed with offensive graffiti in 6th April 2008. The priests at the St. Peter church reported this to the police and then informed the media.

The church walls were sprayed with vulgar and unreligious messages, the priests said, and asked the police to urgently apprehend the perpetrator or perpetrators, which remain unknown.

Meantime the Riaset, the seat of the Islamic Community of Serbia, led by Adem Zilkić, condemned this incident in the strongest terms, it was reported. The Riaset added that a desecration of any religious structure "sows the seeds of unrest", and that, "according to the Koran", it is "worse sin than murder".

The Riaset also stressed it has good relations with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), and condemned the incident that took place in the multi-ethnic Sandžak, saying that "those who did it do not mean well to their people"."Bosniaks and Serbs have for years shared this common space by living in peace and tolerance, successfully resisting all temptations so far," the Islamic organization said.

The St. Peter church in Novi Pazar (Serbia) was built in the 9th century, and is the oldest Orthodox church in the Balkans. At that place Stefan Nemanja, the biggest Serbian emperor, was resigned from the throne and went away in Mount Athos. His son St. Sava Serbian, as the youngest child, and him were founders of the Serbian monastery Chilandar (Mount Athos). His successors , in the Medeival era, were founders of many monasteries and churches in Kosovo and Metochia, BYRMacedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Bulgaria.