Political battles between political parties should not be fought by way of raising religious issues, which objectively can and should be conducted only at the level of a debate or dialogue, says Nova Makedonija. Religious diversities must not lead to political grouping. This is how religious analysts interpret the series of incidents on interethnic and religious grounds that have shook the region of Struga over the weekend. The last in the series of events was the damaging of the 4-meter cross in the yard of the church of Sveta Bogorodica in the village of Brodec.

The revolt of the local Muslims began last Friday when the Struga Mufti Community staged protests against the scenes and masks of the Vevcani carnival held on 14 January this year, which they find to be insulting and anti-Muslim. They feel offended and believe that the carnival ridiculed the holy book of Quran as well as the Islamic principles of life.