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The following well-known British people support the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece:Academics:Professor Michael Dummett, Professor David Lowenthal, Professor John Gould, Professor Peter Levi. Actors and Actresses: Journalists: Christopher Hitchens dies Eleni Cubitt, Honorary Secretary for the Committee said: "We are all deeply saddened by the news of Christopher's death and we send our sincere condolences to his family at this time. Christopher's contribution and belief in our cause was a great strength to me personally and he will be sorely missed as one of our key supporters." Christopher Hitchens is the author of 'The Parthenon Marbles: The Case for Reunification' and he attended the launch of the third 'edition of the book on 23 May 2008 at Chatham House in London. Christopher Hitchens felt the opening of the new Acropolis Museum provided the ideal opportunity to re-state the case for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Athens. When the new Acropolis Museum opened in June 2009, Christopher Hitchens visited and wrote an article, 'The Lovely Stones' which was published in Vanity Fair (July 2009). His concluding sentence reads: "And one day, surely, there will be an agreement to do the right thing by the world's most "right" structure." He wrote his first article in 1983 on the subject in The Spectator and later went on to publish his book 'The Parthenon Marbles: The Case for Reunification' in 1987. In the book Hitchen insists the Greeks have a "natural right" to the sculptures, and that they belong on the hill of the Acropolis "in that light, in that air. Pentelic marble does not occur in the UK".
Members of ParliamentEarly Day MotionsThis is the full text of the Early Day Motion tabled at the House of Commons by Eddie O'Hara MP, dated 19.1.1999.PARTHENON SCULPTURES Mr. Edward O'Hara That this House notes that a recent MORI opinion poll found a substantial majority in favour of returning the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, and that a previous opinion poll organised by Channel 4 Television showed over 90 per cent. in favour; believes that the Parthenon and its sculptures form an artistic unity; notes that UNESCO has declared the Parthenon a world cultural heritage site and supports the return of the of the sculptures; observes that the Parthenon Sculptures were removed by Lord Elgin from Athens under terms and conditions which raise questions about his legal title to their ownership and therefore that of any subsequent purchaser; is concerned at the damage done to the sculptures in the British Museum, and is confident that the new museum in Athens will be adequate for their safekeeping; questions whether more visitors would see the sculptures in the British Museum than in Athens; is aware of the fear that the restitution of the Parthenon Sculptures would set a pecedent for the dismantling of all the great museum collections but believes that this would be averted if the sculptures were returned to Greece as a gesture of goodwill; believes that such a gesture would bring credit to the UK, and that the millenium would offer an opportunity for such a gesture, or, if that is too soon, the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to enter into discussions with Greece on the restitution of the Parthenon Sculptures. This is the full text of a previous Early Day Motion tabled at the
House of Commons on 19.6.96. Channel 4WITHOUT WALLS: a Fifteen-To-One Special on The Elgin Marbles, shown on Channel 4 television on 16 April 1996.The prime mover and presenter of this programme, William G. Stewart, put a proposition to his audience and secured the agreement of the President of Greece to the acceptability of its terms.
The proposal
There would be conditions:
Viewers were invited to vote on this proposition. 99,340 people rang to register their votes. 91,822 supported the proposal for the return of the Marbles. 7518 voted against. This means 92.5% voted in favour of the return. The result confirms the trend of all previous polls while showing an outstanding increase in British support for the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles. All information on this page supplied by the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles.
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