February 17, 2014
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles
There have been many polls about the Parthenon Marbles in recent years and only a few have shows anything other than a high level of support for their return. The Guardian recently ran a poll, following the publicity from George Clooney’s statements about the sculptures.
The results speak for themselves – but the end of the two day poll, the web page attracted over 2,500 comments, and the end result of the poll itself showed that 88% of those who took part were in favour of the sculptures being returned. Politicians have a tendency to state that the marbles are a complex issue & that the country is deeply divided over them – the reality though is that nearly everyone supports return – so why can’t they listen to this & respond sensibly to it, by entering into serious negotiations to resolve it?
88% favour returning Parthenon Sculptures
From:
Guardian
Wednesday 12 February 2014 11.50 GMT
Is George Clooney correct? Should Britain return the Parthenon marbles?While promoting his new film Monuments Men, about returning art taken by the Nazis to its rightful owners, George Clooney has said that the UK should give back the Parthenon marbles to Greece. Are you with him?
Should Britain return the Parthenon marbles to Greece?
88% – Yes
12% – No
- George Clooney thinks Britain should return Parthenon Sculptures : February 10, 2014
- Guardian Elgin Marbles poll results : July 10, 2009
- Rhodes offers to host Clooney’s wedding in thanks for Parthenon Marbles support : May 3, 2014
- When will UK respond to Parthenon Marbles mediation request : February 25, 2014
- George Clooney on the Parthenon Marbles : February 11, 2014
- George Clooney reiterates support for Parthenon Marbles return : January 13, 2015
- Bill Murray & Matt Damon also support Marbles return : February 11, 2014
- Vote for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures : June 24, 2009
marinathemachin said,
02.17.14 at 12:22 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
SophiaLamba said,
02.17.14 at 12:23 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
mungAFC said,
02.17.14 at 12:33 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
milagergova said,
02.17.14 at 1:19 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
twiskford said,
02.17.14 at 1:37 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 5:16 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles –
http://t.co/dZMhPR9Con
Laydeereign said,
02.17.14 at 5:21 am
RT @TomJackson1948: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles –
http://t.co/dZMhPR9Con
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 5:21 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles —
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 5:30 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles :–
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
maximos62 said,
02.17.14 at 5:34 am
RT @TomJackson1948: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles :–
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 5:38 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles:
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 5:43 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles—
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 5:59 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles::
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
TomJackson1948 said,
02.17.14 at 6:07 am
Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Marbles
http://t.co/dZMhPQRtaf
Anonomouse1981 said,
02.17.14 at 6:13 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
ParthenonInt said,
02.17.14 at 6:54 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
Tom Minogue (@MinogueTom) said,
02.17.14 at 7:41 am
Please find edited letter published in today’s Scotsman. You may wish to comment?
http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/letters/marbles-dilemma-1-3308624
Regards,
Tom
Νick said,
02.17.14 at 8:08 am
And who is the only country’s leader in the last 100years
who openly supported the return of Marbles in Greece?
Yeap the only one in the world (not gree) is Adolf Hitler
Giorgos Kati said,
02.17.14 at 8:10 am
And whos the onlyone european country leader in the last 100years who supported the return of Marbles in Greece? Yeah the only one is Adolf Hitler :)
mat8iou said,
02.17.14 at 8:13 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
Hercules_3941 said,
02.17.14 at 8:45 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
Μαρία Τζιωρτζιώτη said,
02.17.14 at 9:41 am
Μαρία Τζιωρτζιώτη liked this on Facebook.
DR.KWAME OPOKU said,
02.17.14 at 6:43 pm
The Guardian Poll on the Return of the Parthenon Marbles
The result of The Guardian poll on the return of the Parthenon Marbles would have come as no surprise to those who have followed the discussions on the issue and, specifically, recent polls. The overwhelming majority of the British people have in the past expressed their view that these Greek sculptures should be returned to Athens. What surprised me though was that the percentage of those in favour of returning was not above 90%. Could the recent floods in Britain have something to do with the results, a lot of people being more concerned with what may be considered as more serious matters? This is clearly not the most auspicious time to discuss the Parthenon Marbles with the British.
Why the British Government and the British Museum do not respect the wishes of the British people is a question I cannot presume to answer. However, it seems the British ruling class and the Government are holding on to the Parthenon Marbles and artefacts such as the Benin Bronzes as symbols of power and are not yet ready to hand back these objects to their owners
who have been claiming their return over a long time?
The argument usually presented by the British ruling class and their supporters is that if they hand over the Parthenon Marbles they will soon be faced with requests for the return of the Benin Bronzes and other artefacts in the British Museum; they do not want to open the flood gates. But this is one of those useless arguments which surprisingly seem to appeal to many. What the British authorities are saying in effect is that they have many artefacts of dubious acquisition in their museums and once they agree to return one object they may have to return .all.
With all due respect, this is a weak argument. Even without opening the so-called flood gates, many countries have been demanding the return of their artefacts. Ethiopia, Egypt, Greece and Nigeria are just a few examples of countries demanding the return of their artefacts independently of what others may be demanding.
The British answer of general refusal to consider requests for restitution has the tendency to amalgamate all claims and to confuse the individual cases and their specific histories. The British authorities themselves have often said each individual case should be considered separately but when an individual request is made it is refused with a general objection.
But the real weakness of the argument based on the flood gates principle is that it is bereft of any law or morality. What the authorities are saying basically is as follows: We have stolen, looted or acquired under dubious circumstances, many artefacts from many countries and if we return one all the other aggrieved owners from Asia and Africa would put in claims. Could any one requested to return property present such an argument before a court or any respectable body?
A British academic, Jonathan Harris has written in his book The New Art History – A critical Introduction (Routledge, 2001, p.275) :
‘The question of the meaning of the ‘Benin bronzes’ or ‘Elgin Marbles’ in London – 1900 or 2000 – is inseparable from the issue of British attitudes towards Africa and the Orient as sites, once for direct military and political colonisation, and now for their post-imperial economic exploitation and indirect manipulation. To return them would imply the belief, on the part of the British authorities, that the peoples of those parts of the world were now capable of competently looking after artefacts that were removed ostensibly on the grounds that the local inhabitants were unfit, because of the ‘degeneration’ of their societies, to act as their curators. Their return would also imply admission of their illegal possession by the British. Both implications remain largely unthinkable because post-imperial racism continues to be a highly significant aspect of British foreign policy. Though British society may be relatively ‘multicultural now, its ruling elite, like that of the US, is still predominantly white, middle-class and male.’
Annoula64 said,
02.17.14 at 7:19 pm
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
BlackRaiser said,
02.17.14 at 7:22 pm
88% of people support Parthenon Marbles return in Guardian Poll http://t.co/QTqg0VbE5S
elginism said,
02.17.14 at 8:39 pm
Great follow-up by Kwame Opoku on my post about the huge win in the Guardian’s Parthenon Marbles reunification poll http://t.co/IgmyDBAQZ0
kat27kara said,
02.17.14 at 8:48 pm
RT @elginism: Great follow-up by Kwame Opoku on my post about the huge win in the Guardian’s Parthenon Marbles reunification poll http://t.…
EricdeMarylebon said,
02.17.14 at 8:49 pm
RT @elginism: Great follow-up by Kwame Opoku on my post about the huge win in the Guardian’s Parthenon Marbles reunification poll http://t.…
Tsaksonakis said,
02.17.14 at 8:53 pm
@elginism Thoroughly enjoyable, both x
Tsaksonakis said,
02.17.14 at 8:55 pm
RT @elginism: Great follow-up by Kwame Opoku on my post about the huge win in the Guardian’s Parthenon Marbles reunification poll http://t.…
JanieWray said,
02.17.14 at 10:39 pm
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
phbernal said,
02.18.14 at 2:01 am
RT @elginism: Great follow-up by Kwame Opoku on my post about the huge win in the Guardian’s Parthenon Marbles reunification poll http://t.…
vassialazari said,
02.18.14 at 4:07 am
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
Angeliki Grigoriou said,
02.18.14 at 5:56 am
Angeliki Grigoriou liked this on Facebook.
HelenaVictoriaB said,
02.18.14 at 7:28 am
RT @elginism: Great follow-up by Kwame Opoku on my post about the huge win in the Guardian’s Parthenon Marbles reunification poll http://t.…
HUCPhila said,
02.18.14 at 12:49 pm
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…
Selby Whittingham said,
02.18.14 at 6:25 pm
An intriguing issue is raised by the possibility of Scotland voting for Independence. What then happens to the British Museum – its name, any contents that the Scots might claim …? See Bendor Grosvenor’s arthistorynews blog. Of course institutions such as the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery attest by their names (not paralleled elsewhere) to the strong nationalism in Britain at that time, in part to create a truly United Kingdom. Scotland was referred to as North Britain.
dpilidou said,
02.18.14 at 10:46 pm
RT @elginism: Blog post: Guardian Poll shows that more than 17 out of every 20 people support return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece http://…