14.10.2021. » 08:42
OP-ED It is forbidden but I am going to say it - Milica Stojanovic Kostic
In a society in which the laws and rights are applied depending on those who exercise some power, the foundations of justice are collapsing, leaving it forever blindfolded, slow, and unreachable, writes journalist Milica Stojanovic Kostic.
In a society in which the laws and rights are applied depending on those who exercise some power, the foundations of justice are collapsing, leaving it forever blindfolded, slow, and unreachable, writes journalist Milica Stojanovic Kostic.
The right for free expression of thoughts is fundamental, like those to live and work. When this right is abolished by the institutions under the excuse that it is a threat to “feelings of one ethnic group”, there is no room to talk about the democratic system. Freedom of thoughts and speech protect us from autocratic regimes that use repression to create an illusion of democracy. In Kosovo and Metohija the right to freedom of opinion and speech is exercised depending on which nation you belong to. If we look at the right of Albanians to express their opinion about “genocide” or the demolition of Orthodox churches because they are “illegally built objects”, it is completely realized no matter how inaccurate and unsubstantiated the facts are. Public expression of such an opinion will not be sanctioned, although it can be characterized as an attack on religious freedoms or incitement of interethnic hatred. On the other hand, if you have an attitude towards the word Metohija, which means the part of this area translated as monastery property, and if you publicly say it in the company of Albanians, you will encounter fierce resistance. I, personally, received an explanation on one occasion not to say this word because it “insults the majority population”. That is why Metohija has been banned for years in this area, in public discourse, in the Kosovo media and press. Anyone who dares to talk about it in the institutions in Pristina is immediately sanctioned and declared a “Serbian nationalist”. Examples of introducing a “verbal offense” when it comes to topics such as Racak or the bombing of the FRY also speak of the lack of freedom of speech in Kosovo and Metohija. If your position is not the same as the one that prevails in the Albanian public discourse or “sense”, it is wrong and punishable by law.
Therefore, freedom of opinion mustn’t depend on the opinion of the majority nor the repression of the majority population wherever it is located. When the implementation of justice is conducted so selectively, it is expected that the law isn’t the same for everyone and that is contrary to the democratic views of the world. In a society where laws and rights are applied depending on those in power, the foundations of justice are collapsing, leaving it forever blindfolded, slow, and unreachable. The thing that creates uncertainty in foundations positioned like this is the verified statement that in a society in which one right is not respected, no right will be respected. Their respect will depend on the current winner of the election. And while we all, as human beings, do not dare to defend the rights of others, knowingly endangering our current privileges, we remain trapped by nationalist rhetoric that leads us to abolish other fundamental rights as well.
That is why the local Albanian public and media are more often dealing with the situation in Afghanistan because it seems that it is far away, but we are so close to it, only we are "not allowed to talk about it!".
And what is the aim of all this?
If we go back a few years in the past, we’ll recall that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were also forbidden the right to intellectual freedom, the right to choose reading material, to upgrade, or to love the written word. Thousands of books by Serbian or foreign authors, translated only into Serbian, were captured at the administrative crossing. Knowledge is power, and when someone forbids it, it is clear that he has taken a good first step towards conducting a plan to change your opinion. In the Serbian areas south of the Ibar River, there are no more bookstores or shops where you could buy a book. However, the desire for knowledge is stronger than simple prohibitions, thus making Serbs “able” to bring books, as in the most terrible times of autocratic authorities. Library in Gracanica, which has been fighting against this decision of the Pristina institutions for years, also has great merit for that.
When the book was banned, the next step was the language. The respect for the right to the Serbian language in institutions is a very well-known topic in this area. It doesn’t exist. It remains unfulfilled.
The next step was speech. We went back to the beginning. Or it is more appropriate to put three dots here, reluctantly but predictively. But what we definitely need is deeply etched when we talk about all this, the fact that is happening in Europe, in the 21st century, under the watchful eye of the international community, which will once again, in all three languages, (declaratively) call both sides to respect basic democratic values and its principles.
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