deducecanoe:maarnayeri:Iraqi student Zeidoun Alkinani protesting the possession of ancient Iraqi art
deducecanoe:maarnayeri:Iraqi student Zeidoun Alkinani protesting the possession of ancient Iraqi artifacts by Germans at the Babylonian Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum of Berlin.Prior to World War I, German archaeologists excavated large numbers of ancient artifacts across what is today Iraq and shipped them to Germany as part of a larger phenomenon of cultural pillage by European archaeologists across the Middle East that continued for decades.In 2002, Iraqi officials asked for the return of the Gate, to no avail. A year later, the U.S. invaded the country.via The Ajam Media CollectiveNodding. I really do wish western museums would own up to how they got their shit and give it back, make some fair or temporary trade (give us this for x years and we will give you y western art/architecture on loan too), buy it, or do replicas.Western museums did not come across most of their collections honestly, even if it was acquired hundreds of years ago and I wish white people would own that shit. Work with world museums to rotate and share, work to give back stolen property and make reparations, instead of playing finders keepers. -- source link