Tuesday 9 December 2014

Nit-Picking Blinkers Antiquities Dealers - Real Issues Elsewhere


The otherwise moribund ADCAEA have jolted into life again with a facebook posting here referring to the Bokova address in the Syria meeting. Their comment? 
"It appears there must be some translation issues with this article; illicit trafficking worth $7 - $15 billion?? Or, perhaps it is just the time of year, some do call this the "silly season"...."
I guess that's what you get if you use as the only source of your news a portal that advertises itself "Newser, Know More, Read Less".  Let us repeat what was said:
UNESCO calls on UN to curb multi-billion dollar artifact trafficking from Syria, Iraq
UNESCO wants ban on Iraq, Syria art trafficking
By THOMAS ADAMSON | Associated Press | Dec 3, 2014 9:05 AM CST in Entertainment

PARIS (AP) — The head of UNESCO says she's calling on the U.N. Security Council to adopt a ban on the illicit trafficking of cultural objects from conflict zones in Iraq and Syria. Irina Bokova told The Associated Press the trafficking of objects obtained through illegal excavations in both countries is an industry worth [a lot of money]. Bokova hosted an international conference Wednesday at the Paris headquarters of the U.N. cultural agency to find solutions to preserving endangered heritage, attended by the U.N.'s representatives for Syria and Iraq. She says that it's critical to stop artifacts being sold in world auction houses since "extremists (are) using this money to fund their activities." She listed Syria's Aleppo and Iraq's Sufi Sheiks tombs as particular concerns.
Perhaps the ADCAEA might now care to address the issue, now the single most important thing they find worthy of comment is dealt with? Are they going to be part of the effort to find solutions to preserving endangered heritage, or are they going to continue to stand on the sidelines and criticise or obstruct? So far the choices of the antiquities trade have not been the best, focussing only on ankle-yapping criticisms of "how much" instead of "what we can and must do about this".


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