Reading the Bible will help stop war crimes, says Serbian officer

Colonel Sasha Milutinovic says that reading the New Testament will help educate troops in moral standards. Bible Society/Clare Kendall

More than 4,000 New Testaments are being given to the Serbian army, according to a senior military figure.

The New Testaments will be handed out to soldiers over the coming months.

Colonel Sasha Milutinovic, the Serbian army's Chief of Religion Section, said that reading them would "improve respect for the enemy".

"I hope as a result of this we will never see a war crime in the Serbian Army again," he said.

"In the past we made some mistakes. But now we not only want to improve our morals but to come back to faith in eternal life and to eternal values."

The New Testaments have been produced by Bible Society and will be distributed free later this year. It is hoped that, in time, all 33,000 members of the Serbian Armed Forces will receive a copy.

The General Secretary of the Bible Society of Serbia, Vera Mitic, welcomed the move.

"Soldiers can learn a lot about military service from the Bible," she said. "I strongly believe that the Bible should be a spiritual and moral guide for our soldiers."

She added that she hoped the scheme would inspire other Bible Societies in the Balkans to provide Bibles to their armies.

Serbian forces were responsible for atrocities during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, among them the massacre at Srebrenica.

More than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims died in the three-day massacre, the worst in Europe since the end of the Second World War.

The former head of the Serbian Army, Ratko Mladic, is currently on trial at the Hague for war crimes.

Earlier this year a judge at the Hague upheld charges against five former Serbian Army officers for their role in the killings.

related articles
Migrants in Austria: How a Syrian church in Vienna is helping victims of the bloody civil war
Migrants in Austria: How a Syrian church in Vienna is helping victims of the bloody civil war

Migrants in Austria: How a Syrian church in Vienna is helping victims of the bloody civil war

Five reasons why Paula Gooder is going to influence your theology
Five reasons why Paula Gooder is going to influence your theology

Five reasons why Paula Gooder is going to influence your theology

New \'dyslexia-friendly\' Bible makes scripture accessible for all
New 'dyslexia-friendly' Bible makes scripture accessible for all

New 'dyslexia-friendly' Bible makes scripture accessible for all

News
What we don’t know about Noah’s Ark
What we don’t know about Noah’s Ark

The story of Noah’s Ark is one of the most well-known Bible stories and has been retold in songs, children’s storybooks, cartoons, and films. Many people think they know the story; however, there are many things we simply do not know. This is the story …

Chin human rights group takes Myanmar junta to court over killings, rapes
Chin human rights group takes Myanmar junta to court over killings, rapes

The Chin have been badly treated throughout much of Myanmar's post-independence history.

Sir Brian Souter says the nation is 'seeing a rebirth of Christ-centred Christianity'
Sir Brian Souter says the nation is 'seeing a rebirth of Christ-centred Christianity'

Sir Brian Souter, the founder of Stagecoach and Megabus, has spoken candidly about the role of Christian faith in business and his view that Britain’s increasingly secular culture may be giving rise to a renewed and more authentic form of Christianity.

Report reveals religious and political shifts in UK
Report reveals religious and political shifts in UK

Faith identity and ideology "are assuming a more significant role in shaping political allegiance, civic participation, and the wider culture", a new report has found.