Obraz

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Obraz logo

Obraz (Serbian Latin: Otačastveni pokret Obraz, Serbian Cyrillic: Отачаствени покрет Образ) is a far right Serbian organization. The organization is classified as an Orthodox clero-fascist by several organizations and state institutions, including Assembly of Vojvodina and the Serbian Ministry of Interior.^[1]

1 History
2 Goals
3 Activities
4 Literature
5 External links
6 References

[edit] History

It started as an Association of Students “Sv. Justin Filozof”, and some Serbian Orthodox Church 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 omega and wrote the following slogans: "Only Agreement Saves Serbs” (similar to the "Only Unity Saves the Serbs" motto), "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 "society built on religious and traditional values, strong national identity, free economy with less taxes and professional armed forces".

[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 Serbian Orthodox 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, and monarchism. 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 Velimirović 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 Dimitrije Ljotić, Milan Nedić, Draža Mihailović, and dissemination of their ideas in schools.

According to Professor Dr. Ljubiša Rajić, the message on the Obraz' web site: "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 Serbian Orthodox 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"

Obraz (Honour), the Fatherland Movement of Serbia and extreme nationalist organizations associated with the Serbian Orthodox Church including Sveti Stefan. Obraz has offered its support to neo-Nazi group National Front.^[1]

In February 2008, Obraz symbols were displayed at a Kosovo Serb rally in the northern part of Kosovan city of Kosovska Mitrovica^[2] and during the Kosovo is Serbia rally in protest against the independence of Kosovo.^[3]

[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.