Obraz

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Symbol

Obraz (full name Otacastveni pokret Obraz) is a far-right Serbian organization. The organization is internationally and domesticly as a clero-fascist organization. ^[1]

1 History
2 Goals
3 Activities
4 Fascism
5 Branches
6 Literature
7 External links
8 References

[edit] History

It started as an Association of Students “Sv. Justin Filozof”, and some SOC officials. Most active are undoubtedly members of "Obraz", which was established as a movement, in support of magazine "Obraz”, in 1993, and in late 2000 evolved into a political organisation. Since then its activities were very transparent. It launched a major propaganda campaign, that is its members drew on many public institutions a characteristic symbol of "Obraz", that is a cross and Greek letters alpha and beta and wrote the following slogans: "Only Agreement Saves Serbs”, "Let’s Fight for Reputation of Serbhood”, "Let’s Defend Our Reputation”. This campaign is accompanied by an attractively designed web-site. "Obraz" activities gained momentum after installation of the new authorities.

[edit] Goals

Some of their goals include establishing Orthodox Christianity as the state religion and government ran by ethnic Serbs.

[edit] Activities

Members of "Obraz" Movement are also active at the Philological Faculty. In late 2001 they staged the First Assembly of the Orthodox-National Youth at the Belgrade University after 1944. Participants in the Assembly were members of society “Sveti Justin Filozof”, Serbian Assembly "Dveri", and the SOC priests. Rade Bozovic, the Dean of the Philological Faculty, backed hate speech which permeated all addresses heard at this assembly, those on the Orthodox religion, nationalism, anti-Communism, anti-globalisation. Monarchy. However most emphasised was the “Spiritual vertical of the Serb history and Serb people”. The rally underlined the spiritual authority of Justin Popovic and Nikolaj Velimirovic and urged creation of the Serb state in line with their ideas. There were many priests and also girls dressed in Serb folk-costumes. The Assembly also called on reconciliation between followers of Ljotic, Nedic, Draza Mihajlovic, and dissemination of their ideas in schools.

It also bears stressing that there were no public and academic reactions to the message on the "Obraz" web site, which according to Professor Dr. Ljubisa Rajic: "re-hashes old ideas of Serb fascism, which attach primary importance to assembly-making, monarchy, clericalism, conservatism, and patriarchal culture. Moreover those ideas are currently openly espoused by contemporary ideologues of Serb nationalism, the far-right parties and some SOC priests”.

But that gay-and lesbian-bashing is characteristic also of other organisations, like Homeland Front "Obraz", which according to Nebojsa M. Krstic, president of movement "verbally fights against abuses of human rights committed for the sake of legalisation of sexually deviant homosexuals and lesbians and numerous sects in our country"

Most print media, notably daily "Glas javnosti" still use a derogatory term for Albanians “Shiptari”. That daily launched a veritable anti-Helsinki Committee campaign in order to deny the findings presented in the NGO’s report. In a series of texts run by the daily lawyer Aleksandar Lojpur levelled accusations against Helsinki Committee for "being more responsible for dissemination of anti-Semitic ideas than "Obraz" (a far-right organisation). Lojpur also maintained that "although abuses of Jews occasionally attracted public attention, there is no doubt that Helsinki Committee, "Obraz" and similar "democratic" or Orthodox fundamentalists shall permanently remain on the fringes of our society" ("Glas javnosti", 10 August 2001). [2]

Obraz (Honour), the Fatherland Movement of Serbia and extreme nationalist organizations associated with the Serbian Orthodox Church including Sveti Stefan.

[edit] Fascism

In December 2005, Serbian police listed Obraz as a clero-fascist organization. ^[3]

Obraz is also seen responsible for attacks on Hungarians and Catholics.

[edit] Branches

Secretary of the movement Nenad M. Jovanovic has started The Center for Research of Orthodox Monarchism(?????? ?? ??????????? ????????????? ?????????? in Serbian) under patronage of the Serbian Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic.

[edit] Literature

Byford, J.T. (2002). Christian right-wing organisations and the spreading of anti-Semitic prejudice in post-Miloševic Serbia: The case of the Dignity Patriotic Movement. East European Jewish Affairs, Vol. 32(2), 42-60.