The attempt to burn down the Jewish Community building and the "Bet Jakov" synagogue in Skopje constitutes a blow to the peace, stability and coexistence that have been cultivated for centuries on the land of Macedonia and on which our society is based.
Any violation of another's sacred place, regardless of which religious community they belong to, constitutes a violation of the fundamental values of respect, freedom and human dignity. Disrespecting the sacredness of another is also disrespecting one's own sacredness, says the response of the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups and the heads of the five religious communities in the country, which was read today at a press conference by the Commission's director, Olivera Trajkovska.
She said they condemn the unpleasant event that occurred in the early morning hours of April 12 and express solidarity and support for the Jewish Community.
"Therefore, in the spirit of interfaith cooperation and mutual understanding, we call on all citizens to show responsibility, reason and virtue and to remain guardians of coexistence. Mutual respect is among the greatest values we have, so we must preserve it and leave it as a legacy for future generations," Trajkovska added.
The conference was attended by the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church - Archbishop Stefan, the bishop of the Catholic Church, Kiro Stojanov, the head of the Islamic Religious Community, Reis ul Ulema Shaqir Fetahu, the head of the Jewish Community Pepo Levi, and the head of the Evangelical-Methodist Church, Pastor Marjan Dimov.
The President of the Jewish Community, Pepo Levi, emphasized that their reaction is both a condemnation and a sign of support for the Jewish community, because in Macedonia, religious communities cultivate long-term cooperation, constructive dialogue, and mutual support in every field.
Responding to journalists' questions, he said that there are no new elements related to the incident and they do not insist on taking them for the sake of the investigation, but it is important that the perpetrators are caught. However, he said, it is more essential to learn from this.
"This is an excess that has not happened since 1943, when Hitler and his army sent 7.144 of our Jews to Treblinka. No one returned from there. No synagogue has ever been burned. Such things have never happened in Macedonia. We hope that we will not allow conflicts and external influences to spill over into our Macedonia, where we live in peace and coexistence," Levi said.
He added that they do not know whether they are terrorists or hooligans, but mentioned that the ISIS group has called for Christian and Jewish religious sites to be burned during Easter.
The head of the Islamic Religious Community, Shaqir Fetahu, said that within the BFI and among Muslim believers there is no problem regarding religious communities or believers.
"Our youth has great respect for all religious communities and believers. This is seen in all countries where we live together without problems. Therefore, with full responsibility I say that coexistence in Macedonia is developing well and there are no problems. Religious communities together with the Commission care for the development of coexistence and we strive for tolerance to be at the highest level," he said.
He added that such incidents do not stem from any religion in Macedonia and that institutions must find the perpetrators and act against them.
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