KOSOVA:
Working at the Top

by Suleyman Stephen Schwartz
Director of American Muslim Assistance's Kosova Crisis Center

ISCA Engaged at Highest Levels to End Serbian Aggression

“The Muslims were to be subjected to a final solution: More than fifty percent of them were to be killed, a smaller part was to be converted to Orthodoxy, while an even smaller part — people with money—were to be allowed to buy their lives and leave, probably through Serbia, for Turkey,” said Vladimir Srebrov, a former Serbian leader familiar with the plan. “The aim was to cleanse Bosnia-Herzegovina completely of the Muslim nation.” [ABC News]

Under intense international pressure and the threat of NATO airstrikes, on October 27, 1998, after a notorious series of long delays and broken promises, Serbian troops initiated their painfully slow exodus from Kosova. Under Slobodan Milosevic, characterized by some as “the Hitler of the 90s”, the Serb killing machine made at least a show of withdrawal from the land it had so ruthlessly wrested from Kosovar Albanians in eight months of unforgettably gruesome civilian attacks.

Kosovar refugees live in terrible conditions in the forests of Kosova in order to escape fierce Serb attacks.

Today a tenuous ceasefire holds in Kosova, and life has yet to return to any kind of normalcy, as many citizens, lacking assurance as to their safety, resist returning to bombed-out villages. Time has passed with no exacerbated incidents of Serb aggression, though reports of arbitrary detainment, torture and killing by Serb security forces abound. So despite their fears, many refugees have begun to descend from the snow-covered hills and forests, reclaiming their villages, house by house, many of which have been leveled by Serb shelling. The slow work of rebuilding has begun throughout this mountainous region.

This swift resolution of the crisis, though remaining far from satisfactory, is nonetheless a far cry from what occurred in Bosnia. There, despite the outcry of the Muslim Umma around the world, Serbian and Croatian aggression was permitted to continue for four horrendous years. During that time over 200,000 Bosnians—mostly civilian—lost their lives.

Women and children by no means were spared the ravages of war. While crimes against women went largely unreported, independently compiled statistics show during the war in Bosnia 50,000 Muslim women were raped, primarily as a new technique of warfare whereby Serbs raped Muslim women neighbors in their homes, rendering the return of her and her family to the same house virtually impossible. Tens of thousands of maimed and orphaned children, and those so psychologically traumatized that they could no longer perform in normal daily activities, filled hospitals and government-run children’s homes.

The war in Bosnia became a sanctioned genocide, with tacit approval of the European powers who looked the other way. Bosnia was cut off from any foreign aid and no weapons were allowed in. The situation was spoken of as if it were in some context remote, or bound to happen, or deserved.

Alhamdulillah, with gratitude to Allah (swt) the worst aspect of aggression in Kosova has been quickly brought to an end, with far fewer casualties than were seen in neighboring Bosnia. This turn of events did not occur by chance. An intense amount of work by Muslim diplomas at the highest levels pressured the international community to intervene in Kosova. The Islamic Supreme Council of America (ISCA) is honored to have participated in this work.

ISCA Implements International Diplomatic Strategy

At the invitation of Albanian Muslims, ISCA president, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, visited Albania in December 1997 to see firsthand the Albanian commitment to Islam. He met with the Grand Mufti of the region, Shaykh Hafez Sabri Kocki and other officials, who expressed grim details of unreported Serb aggression in Kosova. The months which followed ISCA’s fact-finding mission were used to plan and execute a well-thought-out strategy at the highest diplomatic levels, before full-scale Serbian aggression was actually launched. This strategy was designed to counter strongman Milosevic’s plans to occupy Kosova and implement “ethnic cleansing” of its Muslim population.

ISCA’s strategy had a joint focus: to inform members of Congress, the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, NGO’s and other policy-makers and influence them to a call for swift action; and to generate awareness within the Muslim community in America and organize a significant relief effort here.

In May 1998, ISCA joined Senate Hearings

In May 1998, ISCA joined Senate hearings chaired by Senator Gordon Smith to determine a course of action in Kosova. Former Congressman Joseph DioGuardi argued there for immediate intervention to prevent the continuation of Serb aggression. “Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic managed to bluff and outwit the West in Bosnia until he faced military force,” he testified, “and he has managed to withstand [economic sanctions] for years. Only President George Bush’s threat of force kept Kosova relatively quiet for six years.” Rep. DioGuardi then asked the key question: “Are we going to repeat the failures in Bosnia that led us, finally, to use measured force three years too late—resulting in the deaths of more than 200,000 innocent civilians?” Congressman Benjamin Gilman (R-NY) voiced his concern that Russia is preventing effective NATO action in the Balkans, making unilateral U.S. or NATO action necessary to resolve the situation.

High-Level Meetings at the U.N.

ISCA representative Peter Sazonoff accompanied Dr. Nedzib Sacirbey, Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina for the U.N., to the United Nations, where they participated in talks which would determine the U.N.’s role in halting Serbian aggression. As stated in those talks, ISCA’s unyielding position was that the aggression must be stopped cold, as the Serbian slaughter will not end until they take Kosova, Macedonia and Sanjak, killing every Muslim in their wake. While members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress listened with intrigue, they wanted something that ISCA could readily provide: eyewitnesses to Serbian atrocities.

It was then that ISCA launched an extensive plan to bring those best able to represent their people: high-ranking religious leaders of Kosova and the Balkans. After weeks of around-the-clock effort to communicate with, encourage and convince Muslim leaders a world apart, as the replies of acceptance accumulated, ISCA became a liaison between the Balkan region and statesmen and officials of the U.N. By July 30th, an ISCA-sponsored delegation of fifteen high-ranking religious and political leaders was on the ground in New York, representing Kosova, Albania, Macedonia, Sanjak and Bosnia.

The delegation addressing a meeting at the U.N. in late July.

The delegation’s first stop was the U.N. where, in two days of back-to-back meetings, these Muftis and diplomats presented the plight of their nation to some of the highest officials able to affect change. In a meeting of the Group of Arab and Islamic Nations, Dr. Rexhep Boja testified, “As the result of our democratic choice for freedom and independence, Serbs attacked our nation and our people. They destroyed—until today—more than 10,000 houses. They killed hundreds, thousands of women and children. Now there are 300,000 refugees within and outside Kosova.”

Shaykh Salih Zymer, representing the Albanian Community of U.K. and serving as translator, stated, “Our people have no army, they have no defense. We asked the Muslims but they did nothing. We are desperate, but we depend on Allah.”

Shaykh Nazim Adil of Cyprus, renowned for his influence as an advisor to leaders of many nations, gave the Jumah sermon that Friday before Muslim employees of the U.N. “Look at the well-armed Muslim armies. Why are they not fighting? One plane over Kosova would be enough to frighten the Serbs, without dropping anything. It would be enough to fly over it—why don’t they even do that? This is a punishment for the entire Muslim world, because they are choosing and supporting their worst ones—those who drink and yet do not pray.” ... (return to top)

Dr.Rexhep Bojaj, Grand Mufti of Kosova addresses a meeting at the UN

Meetings at the U.N. were followed by the delegation’s fast-paced tour of the Muslim communities of New York. Speaking at one mosque, Shaykh Nazim said, “The world population of Muslims now numbers more than one-and-a-half billion. If they so much as spit on the Serbs, they will drown them! But what is keeping them from facing the Serbs?” The delegation focused on the plight of Kosova and made several East-coast speaking engagements, where funds were donated for Kosovar refugees.

Statesmen and Diplomats Receive Delegation in Washington

On August 3rd the delegation traveled to the nation’s capital where, through the untiring efforts of Muslims diplomats, ISCA staff and other humanitarians, they attended a series of meetings with numerous high-ranking government officials. Media coverage was superb, surpassing all expectations of ISCA’s media relations department. In a Morning Newsmaker at the prestigious National Press Club, Kosova’s Grand Mufti Dr. Boja expressed the plight of his people. That evening, hosted in a reception by 17 senators and members of Congress, the Balkan delegation expressed their dismay at the lack of action to protect their nation. It was a meeting where assurances of cooperation were given from both sides.

Unity Conference Alters Media Awareness

This Washington “offensive” led to the 2nd International Islamic Unity Conference, addressed by 157 international statesmen, muftis, Muslim scholars and activists. The plight of Kosova was presented over and over again by the Balkan delegation. Dr. Nedzib Sacirbey led a session on the Balkans, and private meetings between the delegation and several representatives of Congress were arranged. High-level discussions often continued late into the August nights, and the words of these noble leaders began to hit home.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich addressed a crowd of 3,500 at the Unity conference’s huge Kosova fundraiser saying, “I had the opportunity to witness first hand as a member of a U.S. congressional delegation the effects in Bosnia of hatred and intolerance. Where Muslim people were driven from their homes... We have a moral responsibility...to bring an end to military action in Kosova and to help the peace in Albania... Until the leadership in Belgrade is replaced... more blood [will be] spilled.” [see October TMM for full text]

The impact of these meetings and the conference was tremendous, not only within the U.S. government, but with the media as well. Newspapers across the country began running stories on the fighting. More importantly, the entire tone of reporting changed from “the government of Yugoslavia is battling a group of rebellious separatists” to “the infamous ‘Butcher of the Balkans’ Slobodan Milosevic continues with his murderous policies of ethnic cleansing and must be stopped!” Coverage began to focus on the plight of 400,000 refugees camped in dangerous conditions without shelter, food, water or medicine throughout the mountains of Kosova. Reports of massacres and mass graves began to surface in the press.

The Impact on Capitol Hill

On August 7th, the first day of the Unity conference, an unprecedented blitz of intervention activity was initiated by the U.S. in Kosova. On that day, Madeline Albright spoke with H.E. President Ibrahim Rugova, leader of Kosova, and discussed options for negotiating a settlement with Serbia. Four days later U.S. ambassador to Kosova, Chris Hill, announced the formation of a new negotiating team to work toward a peace settlement. On August 27th work intensified, as President Rugova met with Julia V. Taft and Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Miles, Chief of U.S. Mission to Belgrade, and Mission Director of the USAID for “FRY”, Richard Hough.

On September 1st, Serb women, angered by an apparent new “anti-Serb” bias in U.S. policy over Kosova, stoned the USIS center in Prishtina, capital of Kosova.

On September 6th, former Senator Bob Dole visited Prishtina and President Rugova, after which he toured the devastated villages surrounding the city. Mr. Dole was aghast at the destruction and the ferocity of the Serbian attacks.

After visiting Belgrade he returned to the U.S. and told the Congress that Slobodan Milosevic is “a bad, evil person.” Of this meeting with Milosevic, Mr. Dole said, “Here’s a man who looked us right in the eye and said nothing is going to happen [in Kosova], and the next day there were 40,000 more people [Albanians] driven from their homes.” In support of unilateral action, Mr. Dole exclaimed, “The U.S. and its allies do not have to go back to the United Nations—This is NATO! They don’t need another resolution! They can act!” With the massive expression of outrage by the press, a snowball effect began. Suddenly the European nations—until then mere partners in a complicity of silence—had no choice but to express outrage and rejection of Serbia’s terrorist actions.

The call went out from Washington: “Something must be done: U.N. and NATO must act,” and it was seen that this time the U.S. was firm—unwilling to repeat its policy of complacency in Bosnia.

U.S. Demands Allied Intervention

Despite the possibility of intervention, Serb aggression increased. Despite Russia’s objections, the U.S. pushed its allies and NATO to affirm their resolve to enforce U.N. resolution 1199, insisting that force be used if Milosevic did not withdraw. Under this pressure, NATO finally issued an ultimatum: stop, or “else”. No one spelled out what action might be taken, but the U.S.’s swift deployment of troops to the region, coupled with the very real threat of air strikes caused Milosevic to blink.

Finally, and after weeks of unrelenting shuttle diplomacy by Richard Holbrooke, “the Butcher” agreed to pull his troops back. Thus, October 27th saw Milosevic— for the second time in five years, and in the face of U.S. military strength and the resolve to use it—withdraw his troops, leaving Kosova behind.

The ISCA-sponsored Balkan delegation on Capitol HIll in the office of Representative Dana Rohrabacher.

The Forecast

As with other observers, our confidence rises as the days pass and Serbian troops retreat further. We thank Allah I for the success of our mission, and while ISCA efforts are largely responsible for generating a chain of international response in support of Kosova Muslims, we remind ourselves not to be blinded by the success of the moment.

As Director of the American Muslim Assistance’s Kosova Crisis Center and someone who has visited the region extensively, I believe no Balkan Muslim is truly safe until the savage Milosevic with all his accomplices are tried and convicted for their monstrous war crimes. This is reinforced by Milosevic’s non-compliance, with NATO demands in several areas of Kosova, where heavy concentrations of Serb troops and police remain. Some Kosovar refugees remain afraid to return, despite the onset of a snowy winter season. Regarding such non-compliance officials state they are not serious enough to warrant an airstrike, while others give assurances that Milosevic is heavily monitored, and will remain so.

The ISCA-sponsored Balkan delegation poses for a group photo outside the U.N. with Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil, scholars from Azhar and members of the NYC Muslim community, including the late Ebrahim Lunat, rahimahullah.

However, confidential sources tell The Muslim Magazine that President Clinton issued a national security directive to CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), one of the most competent military intelligence agencies in the world, effective December 5th, ordering a secret operation to remove Milosevic. Details involve beefing up U.S. clandestine personnel on the ground, preparing for Montenegrin and Kosovan independence, and administering final justice to the barbaric “Butcher of the Balkans.” ×