The Elgin Marbles Controversy Continued

The Elgin Marbles controversy has continued and the the debate was discussed at Intelligence Squared which ended with a motion of 384 to 125. Actor, Stephen Fry, addressed the audience in the London Cadogan Hall and stated that, "no matter how much the sovereign debt crisis means they owe us, we will never repay the debt that we owe Greece." He also says that returning the Elgin Marbles would be an act of "grace and decency." He also presented the idea that future visitors to the Museum could witness how the Elgin Marbles had been taken care of by the British and then returned to Greece. 

However, Tristan Hunt MP believes that the Elgin Marbles should stay in the British Museum which allows different cultures to be compared. He fears that by restoring the Elgin Marbles could lead to recoveries of various items by the countries of origin and would result in a loss of understanding and appreciation. He also states that the Marbles had been legally acquired with permission from the Ottoman Empire and that the Greek government had never challenged the ownership in an international court. 

Stephen Fry believes that since the Ottoman Empire had occupied Greece before but do not now, the argument was invalid. Andrew George MP believes that Lord Elgin had preserved the Marbles but believes that they should now be returned to Greece. 



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18373312