SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, May 7 (Hina) - Thousands of Serbs in the Bosnian Serb capital of Banja Luka on Monday prevented the laying of a foundation stone for the rebuilding of a mosque demolished in 1993. One hour and a half before the
ceremony scheduled for 11.30 a.m., a large group of protesters surrounded the site of what was once Banja Luka's biggest mosque and blocked access to representatives of the Islamic community, numerous diplomats and staff with the international community active in Bosnia who wanted to attend. The crowd hurled insults at members of the Bosnian Muslim community and set several religious flags on fire. The Bosnian Serb police were unable to prevent the stoning of the few who managed to reach the place where the foundation stone was to be laid. The invitees, among whom was the head of the United Nations Mission to Bosnia, Jacques Klein, were forced to seek shelter on the pr
SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, May 7 (Hina) - Thousands of Serbs in the
Bosnian Serb capital of Banja Luka on Monday prevented the laying of
a foundation stone for the rebuilding of a mosque demolished in
1993.
One hour and a half before the ceremony scheduled for 11.30 a.m., a
large group of protesters surrounded the site of what was once Banja
Luka's biggest mosque and blocked access to representatives of the
Islamic community, numerous diplomats and staff with the
international community active in Bosnia who wanted to attend.
The crowd hurled insults at members of the Bosnian Muslim community
and set several religious flags on fire. The Bosnian Serb police
were unable to prevent the stoning of the few who managed to reach
the place where the foundation stone was to be laid.
The invitees, among whom was the head of the United Nations Mission
to Bosnia, Jacques Klein, were forced to seek shelter on the
premises of the Islamic Community, where they were blocked.
Arriving on the scene, Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic
tried to calm the protesters and prevent the violence from
escalating. Several dozen vehicles of NATO's peace-keeping
Stabilisation Force were deployed in downtown Banja Luka.
(hina) ha