Telegraph ridicules Amal Clooney and supports Parthenon marbles plunder

In a tabloid fashion, the newspaper claims that the marbles would have turned into “kebab shop foundations” if they had stayed in Greece

“Mrs George Clooney has spoken. She expects the world to listen. “, starts the Telegraph, on its endless tirade of rehashed old arguments that have no basis on justice, humanity or legality.

The British newspaper’s website attacks Amal Alamuddin – Clooney for her marriage to famous Hollywood star George Clooney. They talk down her position or importance in the firm she works for, conveniently forgetting that even though as they claim “she is a junior advocate”, she was not the only one from her firm traveling to Greece to discuss the matter of the Parthenon Marbles.

They then seem to be possessed by the “ghost of Christmas past”, thinking back on how Lord Elgin bargained for the Parthenon marbles with a local “government” ruling over an oppressed people. They conveniently forget that Lord Elgin brought the British museum millions. He contributed to the fact that aided England, with visitors coming from across the world to see  “Rule Britannia era” – plundered treasures from many places ranging around the world. Egypt, Italy, Greece, Persia, the Middle East, Africa… the list is long and never-ending.

 

The Telegraph mentions the Acropolis museum and the fact that it is one of the only museums that has made a place for things it does not have. Yes, and that is something every museum of a historically-rich country should do. These marbles are not anyone’s possession besides the place that they resided in originally. The Telegraph continues by making an off-handed quip about the money that the Greek public does not have. The Acropolis Museum was co-financed by the Greek Public Sector and the European Union. The Greek public sector is financed by the Greek people, and last time we checked, the UK is in the European Union, even though its recent UKIP rising supporters would not like it to be. The Telegraph mentions a poor, Mediterranean country wanting a hand out from a fading Imperial power. There is no such thing. Britain has not been an Empire for the better part of a century. Greece has been poor all through its more modern days, monetarily. But not in history. And that is where the onus of the supporters of Elgin’s marbles lies.

It is this history that many people in this poor, yet strategically placed, beautiful country still learn from, the history they still admire and smile when foreigners talk to them about it.

The matter of the fact is that, it is your own thinkers that support such an initiative. Not long ago, in a forum discussion about this very case, a very succinct and to the point talk was made by none other than British public favorite, Stephen Fry. Not to even mention the fact that the request is as wide as it can be. According to website http://www.parthenoninternational.org/ 

Last week the Guardian published the results of a poll that showed 88% of respondents believe Britain should return the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece. The poll is consistent with all the other surveys in recent years that demonstrate overwhelming British public support on this issue.

The widespread support for the return of the Marbles is not limited to the British public. There are now volunteer organisations in 16 countries that have been formed to support the claim for the sculptures to be returned; in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.

dated 17th of February, 2014.

 

If The Guardian runs a poll which shows so much overwhelming support on said return, then why would the Telegraph  attack the country itself with comments ranging from derogatory “a poor, put-upon Mediterranean culture” to borderline racist had the ghastly Lord Elgin not plundered his works of arts, they could have ended up in the footings of some kebab stand”?

Perhaps the answer is simple. Perhaps the newspaper which borders on libel of both Mrs. Amal Alamuddin – Clooney as well as tarnishing the reputation not just of well-known Greeks who have, in the past, tried to talk to the frankly arrogant British Museum, but of all peoples who have signed petitions or support the return as well.

As for the Telegraph itself,  Shakespeare himself wrote in Hamlet…

The lady doth protest too much, methinks

 

 

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