Oleme koos mõnede ametivendadega (E. Auksmann, V. Vihuri, I. Toomet, J. Tammsalu) leidnud hea olevat paluda sõpruskogudustelt eestpalvet meie riigis toimuva eest ja ühtlasi selgitada ka sündmuste olemust eestlaste vaatevinklist. Saime ühiselt valmis alljärgneva sõnastuse, mis ei ole kaitstud autoriõigustega (ehk siis võib igaüks seda oma nime alt, võimalike tarvilike muudatustega, levitada):
Armsad sõbrad.
Viimaste aastate jooksul on Eestis palju kirgi tekitanud nn.pronkssõduri küsimus. Tegemist on Tallinna kesklinnas paiknenud mälestusmärgiga, mida nõukogude ideoloogia nimetas vabastajate monumendiks, mis aga eestlaste jaoks tähistas nõukogude okupatsiooni ja meie iseseisvuse jalge alla tallamist.
Pärast pikka arutelu otsustas Eesti Vabariigi valitsus selgitada välja, kas nimetatud mälestusmärgi juurde on maetud II maailmasõjas langenuid, ja juhul, kui see peaks nii olema, nende põrmud sõjaväekalmistule ümber matta. Õhutatuna Vene võimude provokatsioonidest kogunes selle vastu protesteerima tuhatkond vene keelt kõnelevat noort, kes märatsesid terve öö Tallinna kesklinnas, lõhkudes ja röövides ning karjudes eestlaste aadressil rassistlike solvanguid. Palju inimesi on saanud viga, üks 20-aastane vene rahvusest noor pussitati surnuks arvatavalt tema oma rahvuskaaslase poolt.
Kahjuks on ka mitmed eesti noored provokatsioonidele allunud ning toimuvasse sekkunud.
Taolist olukorra teravnemist nähes võttis Eesti valitsus vastu otsuse mälestusmärk teisaldada. Otsus viidi koheselt täide. Samuti keelati vastumeetmena alkoholi müük Tallinnas ja selle ümbruses kuni 3. maini.
Rahutused pole aga sellega lõppenud, seepärast kutsume teid üles meie eest palvetama ja oma kogudustes Eesti olukorra ning meie ajaloo kohta tõepärast informatsiooni jagama.
Eesti rahvas ei pea õigeks langenute teotamist. Küll aga ei saa Eesti rahvas nõustuda okupantide heroiseerimisega ning meie ajaloo võltsimisega. Eesti Vabariigi annekteeriti Nõukogude Liidu poolt esmalt
1940. aastal ja pärast saksa okupatsiooni taas 1944. aastal. Üle 50 aasta kestnud nõukogude okupatsiooni kestel hukkus umbes 10% eesti rahvast, raske on kokku arvata, kui palju lapsi jäi seetõttu sündimata.
Eesti mehed, kes võitlesid nõukogude okupantide vastu 1944. aasta kevadest sügiseni, ei võidelnud mitte Natsi-Saksamaa ega Hitleri, vaid oma vabaduse eest. 1944. aasta septembris ei sisenenud nõukogude väed mitte sakslaste okupeeritu Tallinna, vaid ennast pärast saksa vägede lahkumist taas iseseisvaks kuulutanud Eesti Vabariigi pealinna, mis taas okupeeriti. Ajaloolased on tõestanud, et tänu eestlaste vastupanule, mis tohutu jõudude ülekaalu tõttu viimaks siiski murti, suutis säilitada oma iseseisvuse Soome Vabariik ning oma elu päästsid kümned tuhanded sõjapõgenikud.
Oleme tänulikud Teie eestpalvete ja abi eest.
Issandas
Toomas
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Dear Friends,
During the recent years the so-called Bronze Soldier has been a topic of considerable interest in Estonia. It is a memorial statue that the Soviet ideology called a memorial of “deliverers”, but for Estonians it has signified the Soviet occupation and destruction of our independence. Several times in the previous years the Russian-speaking people have gathered around it to fly red Soviet flags and offensive and hostile placards towards Estonian government and people.
After a long discussion Estonian government has decided to conduct excavations in order to establish whether there are victims of the II World War buried under the statue; and if there are, they could be re-buried to a military cemetery (currently there is a bus-station just next to the statue – already from the Soviet time – and obviously it is not a proper place for the graves). Abetted by the Russian provocations, about a thousand Russian speaking youth (mostly teenagers and young adults) gathered yesterday to protest against these excavations and the possible re-burial of the corpses (along with the relocation of the bronze statue that would then be their grave monument on the cemetary). These people defied orders from the Police to leave, and when forced to leave the excavation site, vandalised the whole night in central Tallinn, breaking windows, turning around cars, putting shops to fire (stealing the goods beforehand) and yelling racist slogans against Estonians and our country (and hailing “Russia! Russia!”). Many people (including police officers) have been hurt. One 20-year old Russian was stabbed to death, assumingly by his own fellow-nationals.
Seeing the rapid developments, our government decided to quickly remove the statue from its place to calm down the situation in our capital. This decision was immediately carried out. Also, as a counter-measure, municipal government of Tallinn, as well as several other municipalities, has prohibited selling of alcohol until 3rd of May.
But the revolt has not ended yet. This evening the young Russians are again on the streets. Unfortunately a number of young Estonians have also given in to the provocations and have come to the streets. Therefore we ask you to pray for peace in our country, as well as for those young people, that have been persuaded to carry out these acts of unknown consequences.
Since the Russian official news agencies are bombarding the media with clearly false information about the events and their background, please inform your congregation about the real situation here and about our history.
Estonians do not approve of offences towards the dead, but neither can we accept public praising of those that took our independence and now are trying to re-write the history. Republic of Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union first in 1940 and then after the German occupation in 1944. During more than 50 years of occupation, about 10% of our nation died violently as victims of this totalitarian regime. It is impossible to count the unborn children.
Estonian men that fought against occupants from Spring to Autumn 1944 did not fight for the Nazi Germany, but for the freedom of our country. In September 1944, the Soviet troops did not enter Tallinn occupied by the Germans but to the capital of an independent country that had re-established its independence after the German forces had left. The Soviet Union re-occupied a free nation! Historians have proved that thanks to the Estonian resistance – tough eventualy breached – Finland was able to maintain its independence, and tens of thousands of refugees were able to leave safely.
This is a very hard time for us. We are truly grateful for your prayers and support.
In Christ Jesus,
Toomas
PS See http://www.apple.ee/ for photos.