Parliament passes John
Cannis’ motion requesting the return of the Parthenon Marbles
OTTAWA,
April1, 2003 – John Cannis,
Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre, successfully debated his
motion M-318 in the House of Commons today resulting in unanimous support
from Parliament. “It is with overwhelming pride that I can announce that
my motion for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece has passed
with unanimous consent,” said John Cannis. The debate lasted for one
hour and many Members of Parliament took part, including the Honourable
Sheila Copps, Minister of Heritage. In his speech, Mr. Cannis stressed the
importance of returning the Marbles to Greece. “This is not an issue
that concerns Britain and Greece, but an issue of cultural heritage that
transcends all borders.”
The Parthenon Marbles (also known as the Elgin Marbles) is the
collection of Greek antiquities that were forcibly removed from the
Parthenon, in Greece between 1801 and 1812 by the then British Ambassador
to the Ottoman Empire, Lord Elgin. The antiquities were then sold to the
British government who then placed them into the British museum where they
are today. Various international committees have been formed to urge
Britain to return the stolen artifacts, including the Canadian Committee
for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, which Mr. Cannis is a
member.
Mr. Cannis’ motion reads as follows: “That in the opinion of
the House, the government should call upon the United Kingdom to return
the Parthenon Marbles to Greece in order to be restored in their authentic
context, as the Marbles represent a unique and integral part of world
heritage and should be returned to their country of origin, before the 28th
Olympiad in Athens, Greece, in 2004.”
“This
is an issue that I have been working on for several years and I am very
pleased that Canada can now join the international community in urging
Britain to do the right thing. Let’s get those marbles back to where
they belong before the 2004 Olympic Games,” stated John Cannis.