>>News Homepage

October 20, 2004

NEWS RELEASE

Contact Information:

Toni Siljanov, Chief Spokesman of the Macedonian Alliance

mail@macedonianalliance.com

Melbourne , Australia - The Macedonian Alliance, representing over 300,000 Australian-Macedonians, is urging US embassy officials and Ambassador Lawrence Butler to denounce any further intention to build the US Embassy on the area known as Fortress Kale Gradishte. The Kale Fortress along with the medieval town abutting it, Gradishte, is of great historic significance to Macedonia's National Heritage as it dates back many centuries. Building the US Embassy at the Fortress Kale Gradishte site merely exhibits a blatant disregard of Macedonian history and tradition.

Ambassador Lawrence Butler, as in many cases before, chooses to ignore the historical facts that Gradishte and its "Kale Fortress" were built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, a native of the ancient town of Skupi ( Skopje) circa the "6th Century AD". Ambassador Butler's ambivalence towards Kale Gradishte's cultural value implies that the US Government is insensitive to Macedonian culture because the US State Department fails to reconcile the notion that Kale Gradishte is not just a portion of land on a hill. Instead, to the people of Macedonia, Kale Gradishte is a culturally irreplaceable commemorative of numerous foreign empires, which attempted to conquer the Macedonian nation; ironically, most of the conquering empires attempted to use Kale Gradishte as their citadel within Macedonia.

Placing a foreign sovereign's militarily guarded embassy close to a Museum of Contemporary Art or close to a World War II historic French Graveyard abutting Fortress Kale Gradishte, which also serves as a harsh reminder to Macedonians of the unsuccessful occupation by Nazi forces, only instills ill will among Macedonian people and inspires cultural resentment against an inflexible American government. Apparently, even century old Islamic graves found under Gradishte are not significant enough to reverse the unjust and unconscionable view that Kale Gradishte is the only place in Macedonia suitable for an American Embassy.

We propose Ambassador Lawrence Butler act as a responsible American and protect a world heritage site. Being inflexible and unrealistic in the sense that there is no other less restrictive alternative, but to build the US embassy on Kale Gradishte tarnishes the US image in Macedonia while sending a very scary message to other countries of the world. It seems ironic that Americans were upset when the Taliban destroyed sacred statues, but yet the Americans ignore the cultural value of Kale Gradishte. We are certain in America the government and citizens go through great lengths to protect and preserve cultural or historical monuments.

The MA is publicly supporting the "Kale Coordination Body" and is encouraging all citizens to sign the petition and oppose the move of the US Embassy. We conclude that US Embassy officials and Ambassador Butler are not acting responsibly because of their failure to accept the opinion and cultural requirement of the Macedonian people. It seems like common sense, rather than a civil science, that there are many other sites in Macedonia that would be mutually suitable, more respectful and less problematic for the welcomed construction of the US embassy.