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December 09, 2003
God had a message for them
Rome Journal: An Obelisk Is Going Home; a Bolt of Lightning Helped
I'd forgotten about this... Mussolini plundered Ethiopia in 1937, carrying off a bunch of the nations' archaeological treasures, including a 200-ton obelisk from Axum. The Ethiopian government in recent years had been trying to get Italy to send it back -- in accordance with the post WWII peace treaty -- but the Italians were claiming that the obelisk was safer in Rome (with its smog) and basically acting like the self-righteous Europeans they are:
Vittorio Sgarbi, a former under secretary in the Ministry of Culture, said the obelisk should remain in Italy, because Italy "had colonized Ethiopia during the years of the object's transfer, and so this really can't be considered a theft."Mr. Sgarbi also said the obelisk could not be as effective an advertisement for Ethiopian achievement once it went back to Aksum — which is far from Addis Ababa and near Ethiopia's border with Eritrea — because that area has a tiny fraction of the tourists that Rome receives.
We stole it fair and square! "Colonized", indeed.
Finally, God had to take a hand in the matter and smote the obelisk with a bolt of lightning, knocking a block of it off. The Italians got the message and now, finally, are sending it back.
Posted by Mac Thomason at December 9, 2003 01:26 PM
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Comments
You know, they all do this when trying to justify their theft of other nations' property.
Then turn right around and vilify Israel as a "colonial" nation.
Posted by: Meryl Yourish at December 10, 2003 08:30 PM
Maybe there's a statute of limitations on colonization. But I don't think Italy -- which invaded Ethiopia in the thirties -- has passed it yet. I figure, if you stole something in the 19th century, it's yours now.
Or if you've been there for 3500 years.
Posted by: Mac Thomason at December 11, 2003 08:28 AM