An informal group of citizens put up an inscription where they were thanking the Muslims for preserving the Orthodox Church of the Ascension in Gracanica during the war.
A few days ago, at the entrance to the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Gracanica, an inscription appeared with the words: “We thank all Muslims who preserved the church during the 1991-1995 war and all the days to come.”
At the end of the message, the word Ozren is mentioned, which actually represents the mountain of the same name, from which the minaret of the White Mosque in Gracanica was destroyed by the last grenade fired during the past war.
After that act, the citizens of Gracanica gathered and were on duty around the church, so that some of the malicious people would not destroy parts of the temple, which was declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in 2013.
When it comes specifically to placing the inscription, accordingto the available information, the signatory of that act is an informal group of citizens from Petrovo, who did not have the consent of the church municipality for such a thing.
According to the current socio-political environment in our country, there was a fear that citizens could understand the words from the message: “…and all the days to come” as a provocation, so the decision was made to remove the board, without diminishing the importance of gratitude that was shown.
Namely, photos of the church and the mentioned inscription appeared on social networks the other day, which caused extremely positive reactions in the BiH public.
Just like Tuzla, Gracanica has the epithets of a multiethnic and multicultural city, and the city administration has excellent cooperation with the church community. Thus, it was agreed even earlier that a new wrought iron fence would be made at the entrance to the church soon.
The Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Gracanica belongs to the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Diocese of Zvornik-Tuzla. Construction of the religious facility began in 1921 and was finished in 1926. The parish church of the Ascension of the Lord was consecrated in 1925.
E.Dz.
Source: Klix.ba