Priceless heritage

I am sure everybody with a small dose of a purely sense of history would greatly appreciate and welcome the news that Britain and the Vatican would be returning to Greece the fifth century Parthenon Marbles by Phidias.

In the case of the so-called Elgin Marbles in the British Museum, these were gradually removed from Athens in the early 1800s but the three fragments at the Vatican Museum have been held in Rome for centuries.

A file photo of two sections of marble frieze sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, part of the collection popularly referred to as the Elgin Marbles, found at the British Museum. Photo: AFP

On reading about these noble gestures, my immediate knee-jerk reaction was the return of the Maltese relics now exhibited at the Tower of London Museum and the Paris Louvre Museum. If not mistaken, in London there is a very ornate cannon reputedly from the period of the Ximenes magistracy. In the Louvre there are the ceremonial sword and poignard donated by Philip II of Spain to de Valette.

Britain and France were both very powerful colonisers and returning these relics may involve difficulties and create precedents. But is this a sufficient and valid reason not to return these artifacts? Both museums are so fabulously endowed that they would certainly not be the poorer if these pieces were restored. On the other hand, in Malta they would constitute a not insignificant gesture of friendship and goodwill on the part of all concerned, plus a priceless addition to our national heritage.

Perhaps Malta might sound out Britain and France on these issues.

The influential Malta Historical Society, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Heritage Malta and possibly also the University of Malta, along with other constituted bodies, might give support to this initiative; no harm in trying.

Amabile Galea – Balzan

The weakening of democracy

Totally ignoring the wishes of 70 per cent of the population, withholding information, manipulating the media, letting money buy political influence and disregarding the opposition completely do not bode well for a democracy. Those are moves towards totalitarian rule.

That can happen to the Maltese islands when our prime minister starts acting like an autocrat and is surrounded by yes-men ready to give him their absolute support.

Scary, isn’t it?

Maria Pace – Birkirkara

Conscience vote

I believe that our constitution prohibits the use of a parliamentary whip when it comes to voting on matters of conscience, such as abortion.

I hope our parliamentarians are aware of this and not follow blindly their party line in order to keep warming their comfortable seat.

Carmel Sciberras – Naxxar