Jihad gathers momentum in Macedonia

 

In the last decade the Muslims of Balkan region have lived through a grim episode of genocide. It all started with the collapse of Soviet Union when the entire Russian bloc started to crumble. Yugoslavia was no exception. Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia all proclaimed independence. Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia were Christian majority states and their decision to brake free was accepted.

 

Though their ensued ethnic conflict between Serbs and Croats but things settled down soon. But when the Muslims state of Bosnia declared independence all hell broke loose. The Serbian government unleashed a reign of terror as it started a wholesale genocide of Muslims in Bosnia. Obviously they wanted to purge Bosnia of entire Muslim population.

 

The full extent of atrocities committed by the Serbs can never be known but mass graves are being unearthed even today. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims were slain, families were uprooted, and Muslim women were dishonored.  The states of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro were all united in their animosity towards Islam: they haunted Muslims together.

 

Then Muslims realised that they have to defend themselves, otherwise they will be divorced and thus finally they started Jihad. Their Jihad soon gathered momentum and Muslims were defending themselves well. Seeing this situation Christians were alarmed, the world powers sent their forces to help the Christian Serbs. Then Muslims were forced to accept an unlikely solution to the Bosnian crisis and the fate of Bosnian Muslims still hangs in the balance.

 

When Kosovar Muslims tried to seek independence from Serbia, they were also subjected to similar atrocities.

 

One both the occasions, one feels, the West helped Serbia to make it sure that a Muslim state does not come into existence in heart of Europe. Otherwise it does not make sense that when Christian states of Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia announce freedom or autonomy they are granted, but when Muslims follow suit they are made to pay a heavy price for this. But Muslims are instinctively free people and they continue to fight for freedom.

 

Movement in Presevo

 

The most recent to join the struggle for freedom are the Muslims of Preseveo and Macedonia at Tetovo.

 

The valley of Presevo always had Muslims in majority. In the last ten years, a large number of Muslims of Bosnia and Kosovo also moved to this valley to escape the atrocities of the Serbs. Muslims considered this valley a safe place.

 

Today the Muslim population of this valley is more than 100,000 Muslim were living here peacefully until the Serb police started to hunt Muslims. Earlier NATO had declared Presevo valley a Ground Safety Zone and it was off limits to the Yugoslav troops. But now NATO has allowed Yugoslav troops to enter the Valley and, more than that, to occupy the area.

 

The Muslim youth of Presevo reacted strongly to this situation they took up arms and started to fight Yugoslav troops. This was something which NATO had not bargained for. Realising the intensity of the situation American K-For troops have also moved in. Now Yugoslav and K-For troops are trying to suppress this newest armed struggle by Muslims.

 

New development in Macedonia

A similar sort of development is taking place in Macedonia where in the mountains near its second largest city Tetovo Muslims have launched an armed struggle against the Macedonian forces. The Macedonian Muslim fighters have named themselves national Liberation Army(UCK). Now UCK is fighting in close co-ordination with the Muslims of Presevo who themselves are fighting under the banner of Medvedyja Bujanovac Liberation Army of Presevo (UCPMB). The fighters of former Kosovo Liberation Army KLA have also joined these two organisations.

 

Let’s take a look at the struggle of Macedonian Muslims. Muslims makeup 40 percent of the population of Macedonia. They complain that they are the most ignored people. Due to government’s biased polices poverty is rampant in their areas. Their youth are denied better education and the only means of subsistence are left with is farming. Likewise, they are facing strict religious persecution. Macedonian government is bent on eliminating their values, religion and language.  They have no representation in government and the administrative machinery.

 

It is under these repressive measures by the government that the Muslims of Macedonia finally decided to take up arms to fight for their rights. Their initial attacks were so fierce that Macedonian government decided to go all out against them but so far Muslims are holding their own in the mountains.

 

On 22 February 2001 a meeting of all countries of the region, namely Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and Romania was held. In this meeting the steps to contain the movement were discussed. The participants decided to put pressure on the UN and NATO to deploy peacekeeping troops in the area to restrict the movement of Muslim fighters.

 

Soon after the meeting NATO dispatched troops for attacks on Muslims. Further Yugoslavia was also allowed to attack them. It seems as if the activities of UCK have caused alarm in the whole Europe. Russia has also said in a statement that if Muslim guerillas were not restricted then the whole Europe would be facing their attacks. Russia has also given gunship helicopters and tanks to Macedonia to be used against Muslims.

 

Due to the increasing activities of Muslim Mujahideen, the US and France have announced to use unmanned reconnaissance Planes to monitor there activities. The supply of ammunition and other provisions to UCK comes from Presevo.  NATO and Yugoslavia are trying to block this supply.

 

As of now fighting is continuing in and around Tetvo and Macedonia is carrying aerial raids on the positions of UCK. NATO and Yugoslavia are extending full support to Macedonia in its offensive.

 

Macedonian army is using heavy artillery and tanks against Mujahideen. Not only that army is targeting civilian population, too. Practically, all world powers have united to fight a small group of Mujahideen.

Media’s Role

 

Whether media is also doing its best to contribute to the attempts to snuff out this newest Muslim struggle for freedom. All international News Channels and agencies like CNN, BBC, Reuters, AFP etc are not reporting the atrocities being committed by Macedonian forces against innocent Muslims. Moreover they are describing them as ethnic Albanians, not as Muslims, whereas in reality there is no race by the name Albanian. Obviously, they are Muslims and are living in Presevo and Macedonia since the days of Ottoman Empire and they were in fact indigenous people who embraced Islam.

 

But western media’s reporting has totally distorted the facts. All Muslim fighting for independence in Kosovo, Presevo and Macedonia are being portrayed as bandits. In contrast we see East Timorese bandits were presented as heroes.

 

The attitude of Muslim media needs to be condemned in this concern. They are reporting the news stories fed to them by the western media and they don’t even change the negative adjectives the western media uses for Mujahideen.

 

Kosovar Muslims express solidarity with their brethren

 

Despite all attempts by the western media to portray the freedom movement in most negative terms, the Kosovar Muslims have expressed solidarity with the Muslims of Macedonia and Presevo.

 

They organised large gatherings and a large number of youth hence decided to train at training centers in Presevo. Right after the initiation of Jihad in Macedonia, thousands of Muslim students held a large gathering in Pristina. Addressing the gathering in Pristina a student leader said, our brothers who are fighting in Macedonia are not alone. When he was asked as to whether he will take up arms and fight along with Macedonia Muslims, he said, we will do anything for Mujahideen, anything that can be expected from us.

 

This is the first time that such a large gathering has taken place in Kosovo to express solidarity with Mujahideen . The Muslims of Kosovo and Macedonia have also stated to raise funds for their brethren.

 

This freedom movement just goes to show that Muslims wherever they live cannot be kept in chains, and despite all attempts by the West to repress Jihad, different Jihadic movements continue to emerge in different parts of the world.