,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #bf  ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,march  
#bf1 #bjai,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of
 ,new ,york 7for herself1 ,mr4          
,bilirakis1 and ,mr4 ,payne7 submitted  
the following concurrent resolution2    
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,affairs  ,,concurrent         
,,resolution  ,expressing the sense of  
the ,congress that the ,parthenon       
,marbles should be returned to ,greece4 
,whereas the ,parthenon was built on the
 hill of the ,acropolis in ,athens1     
,greece1 in the mid-fifth century ,b4,c4
 under the direction of the ,athenian   
statesman ,pericles and the design of   
the sculptor ,phidias2 ,whereas the     
,parthenon is the ultimate expression of
 the artistic genius of ,greece1 the    
preeminent symbol of the ,greek cultural
 heritage1 including its art1           
architecture1 and democracy1 and of the 
contributions that modern ,greeks and   
their forefathers have made to          

civilization2 ,whereas the ,parthenon   
has served as a place of worship for    
ancient ,greeks1 ,christians1 and       
,muslims2 ,whereas the ,parthenon has   
been adopted by imitation by the ,united
 ,states in many preeminent public      
buildings1 including the ,lincoln       
,memorial2 ,whereas over #ajj pieces of 
the ,parthenon's sculptures1 now known  
as the ,parthenon ,marbles1 were removed
 from the ,parthenon under questionable 
circumstances between #ahja and #ahaf by
 ,british nobleman ,thomas ,bruce1      
seventh ,earl of ,elgin1 while ,greece  
was still under ,ottoman rule2 ,whereas 
the removal of the ,parthenon ,marbles1 
including their perilous voyage to      
,great ,britain and their careless      
storage there for many years1 greatly   
endangered the ,marbles2 ,whereas the   
,parthenon ,marbles were removed to     
grace the private home of ,lord ,elgin1 
who transferred the ,marbles to the     
,british ,museum only after severe      
personal economic misfortunes2 ,whereas 

the sculptures of the ,parthenon were   
designed as an integral part of the     
structure of the ,parthenon temple1 the 
carvings of the friezes1 pediments1 and 
metopes are not merely statuary1 movable
 decorative art1 but are integral arts  
of the ,parthenon1 which can best be    
appreciated if all the ,parthenon       
,marbles are reunified2 ,whereas the    
,parthenon is a universal symbol of     
culture1 democracy1 and freedom1 making 
the ,parthenon ,marbles of concern not  
only to ,greece but to all the world2   
,whereas1 since obtaining independence  
in #ahcj1 ,greece has sought the return 
of the ,parthenon ,marbles2 ,whereas the
 return of the ,parthenon ,marbles would
 be a profound demonstration by the     
,united ,kingdom of its appreciation and
 respect for the ,parthenon and         
classical art2 ,whereas returning the   
,parthenon ,marbles to ,greece would be 
a gesture of good will on the part of   
the ,british ,parliament1 and would set 
no legal precedent1 nor in any other way

 affect the ownership or disposition of 
other objects in museums in the ,united 
,states or around the world2 ,whereas   
the ,united ,kingdom should return the  
,parthenon ,marbles in recognition that 
the ,parthenon is part of the cultural  
heritage of the entire world and1 as    
such1 should be made whole2 ,whereas    
,greece would provide care for the      
,parthenon ,marbles equal or superior to
 the care provided by the ,british      
,museum1 especially considering the     
irreparable harm caused by attempts by  
the museum to remove the original color 
and patina of the ,marbles with abrasive
 cleaners2 ,whereas ,greece opened the  
,new ,acropolis ,museum in #bjji which  
houses the ,marbles that were not       
removed to the ,united ,kingdom by ,lord
 ,elgin and displays them alongside     
plaster replicas of the ,marbles        
currently in the ,british ,museum so    
visitors can see the entire frieze as it
 was designed around the ,temple of     
,athena2 ,whereas it has been #bjj years

 since the ,british ,government voted to
 purchase the ,marbles2 ,whereas the    
,greek ,government has publicly         
supported working with the ,british     
,government in a diplomatic manner to   
negotiate mutually agreeable conditions 
for the return of the ,parthenon        
,marbles2 ,whereas the people of ,greece
 have a greater1 ancient bond to the    
,parthenon ,marbles1 which were in      
,greece for over #b1bjj years of the    
over #b1dcj-year history of the         
,parthenon2 and ,whereas ,british       
,members of ,parliament across the      
political spectrum have supported       
legislation to authorize the return of  
the ,marbles to ,greece3 ,now1          
therefore1 be it  ,that it is the sense 
of the ,congress that the ,government of
 the ,united ,kingdom should enter into 
negotiations with the ,government of    
,greece to facilitate return of the     
,parthenon ,marbles to ,greece4