HERALD SUN REPORT: A PETROL bomb thrown into a church has been blamed on a banner calling for the release of accused war criminal Ratko Mladic.
Priest Cedomir Videkanic, of St Stefan's Orthodox Serbian Church in Keysborough, says a molotov cocktail was thrown through the window before dawn yesterday.
Father Cedomir blamed the attack on the media for whipping up hatred over controversial "Free Mladic" banners at an international soccer friendly between Australia and Serbia last week.
"The banner created more of a problem. It does not help at all," he said.
Father Cedomir said although the banner should not have been at a big event, Mladic polarised opinion.
"Every war commander is a hero for some people and a criminal for other people," he said.
"So with Mladic, he was in a position to order shootings and in every war, (a) commander is in the same position. What do you think what is genocide?"
He said he would get legal advice about suing the media for inciting the attack.Father Cedomir said the International Criminal Tribunal made a "mockery" of justice and he would prefer to see former US president Bill Clinton on trial.
"I can accuse your newspaper and other newspapers as the ignition for young, silly people," he said.
Mladic, a former chief of the Bosnian Serb army who was dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia", is accused of war crimes and genocide during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
He was arrested last month almost 20 years after the alleged atrocities.
Those who were insulted by banners raised at the Socceroos v Serbia match at Etihad Stadium called last week for those responsible to be prosecuted under racial vilification laws.
A banner that read "Death to (Serbian president) Tadic, Freedom to Mladic" was confiscated, but no one was ejected from the arena.
Comments