Religious Freedom in Kosovo

Photo By Sgt. Gloria Kamencik | Liaison Monitoring Team (LMT) K18, with KFOR29 Regional Command – East, meet with...... read more read more

Photo By Sgt. Gloria Kamencik | Liaison Monitoring Team (LMT) K18, with KFOR29 Regional Command – East, meet with religious leaders to talk about mutual respect and support for different religions at the Joni Ranch in Kamenica, Kosovo September 21, 2021. People in Kosovo maintaining the ability to practice any religion they wish is critical to ensuring a safe and secure environment. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. Gloria Kamencik)  see less | View Image Page

PRISTINA, KOSOVO

02.16.2022

Story by Capt. Mikel Arcovitch 

KFOR Regional Command East

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A new mosque sits on a hillside in Prizren. Mass is held in a renovated church in Mitrovica. A 14th century Serbian Orthodox monastery welcomes guests with open arms in Gramenica. Prayer call echoes through Camp Bondsteel. Evidence of religious freedom is at every turn.

Freedom of religion is a critical aspect to the overall community in Kosovo. KFOR, Regional Command – East contributes to the overall presence of religious freedoms by providing religious support in the form of Chaplains. Regional Command – East Chaplains provide religious and moral support to Soldiers at bases housing U.S. Soldiers in Kosovo. The Chaplain teams also build and maintain relationships with local religious institutions, of all faiths, which contributes to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all people of Kosovo.

“Having the chance to meet with religious leaders across Kosovo has been a welcome aspect of our job,” said Maj. Eric Stuepfert, Chaplain, Regional Command – East. “We build these relationships in a variety of ways. One of our favorites is experiencing cultural and religious differences by observing different religious events. We have Soldiers from Regional Command – East join us for these observations whenever we can.”

Early on, Maj. Stuepfert and Staff Sgt. Dacyn Channell, chaplain assistant, Regional Command – East, took a group of parishioners from Camp Bondsteel to visit the Church of the Black Madonna, located in the southeastern town of Letnicë/Letnica, Kosovo. Black Madonna’s are located all over the world, and refer to art (typically statues or paintings) depicting the Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus as black. The church in Letnicë/Letnica is significant because it is believed to be where Saint Teresa of Calcutta, also known as Mother Teresa, heard her calling to God and became a nun. Almost all of the Kosovo-Serbian citizens are Serbian Orthodox.

Catholicism also has practitioners throughout Kosovo. In the first months we were here, Sgt. Gloria Kamencik and I were invited by Maj. Stuepfert and members of the Swiss Liaison Monitoring Team Kilo 2 to visit the re-opening of a Catholic Church in Mitrovica, Kosovo. The Bishop for Prizren-Pristina, Dode Gjergji, attended and spoke to those present. The tight streets that led to the church were filled with cars, and the small church service was well attended. “This is another example of religious diversity in Kosovo. It is always a pleasure to attend different religious events of different religious practices,” said Maj. Stuepfert.

The majority of Kosovo-Albanians are Muslim, and as such there is a rich history and numerous religious artifacts and structures dedicated to Islam. One location with great significance to the Muslim community, especially to citizens and Soldiers with Turkish heritage, is the Tomb of the Sultan Murad. Turkish Armed Forces Capt. Çagri Kutlu, also assigned to KFOR, Regional Command – East, escorted us around the grounds, which included a museum describing various historical details around the Sultan’s reign, and more specifically the Battle of Kosovo in 1389.

“(Sultan Murad) Ruled during the Ottoman Empire. He greatly expanded the Turkish motherland during his rule. He is the only (Ottoman) ruler to be killed in battle. This location honors him," said Kutlu.

Located in the Pristina District in Kosovo, the grounds for the tomb are located on a quiet side road off a busy route only minutes from Pristina, Kosovo’s capital city. It is quiet and meticulously kept. The man honored by the grounds is Ottoman Sultan Murad I, who was killed in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Sultan Murad’s internal organs were buried at the tomb in Kosovo and have remained since his death. The rest of his remains were taken to Bursa, Turkey.

“This location is very important to Turks and of Turkish history,” said Capt. Kutlu. “It is a very good religious location for us to visit while we are here in Kosovo. It is important to know that the same family has kept the grounds and looked after the tomb since it was built.”

Serbian Orthodox churches are also spotted across all regions of Kosovo, and represent another example of religious freedom. Our chaplain team of Maj. Stuepfert and Staff. Sgt. Channell were joined by Staff Sgt. Jason Boyle from RC-E, to take part in celebrating the Serbian Orthodox Christmas on January 6. The celebration included a trip out into the woods to cut down a Christmas tree, much like the December 25th tradition celebrated by many Christians in the United States. “We cut down a much larger tree than is typically customary with the Serbian Orthodox practice,” said Staff Sgt. Channell. “It was a great experience, and we appreciate the invitation to take part in the celebrations.”

We were honored to visit a variety of significant religious locations during our time in Kosovo. Kosovo citizens maintain the ability to practice any religion they wish, and this was clearly evident through our travels. During a trip to Prizren, the Islamic Call to Prayer played, and Muslims gathered in front of a mosque located in the center of the city. Without hesitation or thought, many citizens laid out their prayer mats and prayed outside of the mosque without hesitation. Our escort, Ardian Nrejac of Pristina, provided some insight, “Much of this is because of COVID. There are limits on the number of people that are able to enter the mosque,” said Nrejac. “It is very normal for people to pray outside of the building. People are free to practice how they need.” This acceptance and freedom of religion is a key factor in providing a safe and secure environment for all people of Kosovo.