| Jane C. Waldbaum, President of the Archaeological Institute
of America (AIA), has alerted us to pending legislation which could affect seriously
the cultural heritage of Afghanistan. The following is adapted from her memo to
AIA members with her permission:
A bill is now before
the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow the President to impose emergency
protection for antiquities illegally excavated and exported from Afghanistan.
We strongly support this initiative, which would provide legal means to prevent
the import into the U.S. of artifacts and works of art currently being looted
from archaeological sites in Afghanistan. This is particularly important since
Afghanistan has not ratified the 1970 UNESCO Convention and cannot ask for U.S.
protection in the normal way under the current Cultural Property Implementation
Act of 1983. In the last two decades looting in Afghanistan has been devastating
to that country's cultural heritage, and since the destruction of the Bamiyan
Buddhas by the Taliban in 2001 and the current war there the situation has become
even worse, rivaling, and if anything, exceeding the more familiar situation in
Iraq.
Please get involved in this grass roots effort by emailing to Representative
Clay Shaw, Chairman, Subcommittee on Trade of the Committee on Ways and Means,
and indicating your support for the inclusion of H.R. 915 ("A Bill to Authorize
the President to take certain actions to protect archaeological or ethnological
materials of Afghanistan") in the Miscellaneous Tariffs bill.
It is essential
that a large number of letters supporting this legislation be sent by the announced
deadline of September 2, 2005.
Instructions for submitting comments
and a sample letter are below. Please note that it is very important to follow
these instructions exactly or your comments won't be received.
Please
take part in this effort to ensure that Congress knows the views of the archaeological
community and of the general public who are interested in protecting cultural
heritage.
Details of the bill in question may be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109h.r.00915:
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS: Any person(s)
and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the record must follow the appropriate
link on the hearing page of the Ways and Means Committee website and complete
the informational forms. Go to the Committee menu entitled, "Hearing Archives"
(http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Hearings.asp?congress=17.
Select the request for written comments for 9-2-2005 "Request for Written Comments
on Technical Corrections to U.S. Trade Laws and Miscellaneous Duty Suspension
Bills." Then click on the link entitled, "Click here to provide a submission for
the record." Once you have followed the online instructions, completing all informational
forms and clicking "submit" on the final page, an email will be sent to the address
which you supply confirming your interest in providing a submission for the record.
You MUST REPLY to the email and ATTACH your submission as a Word or WordPerfect
document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by close
of business Friday, September 2, 2005. Finally, please note that due to the
change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package
deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical
problems, please call (202) 225-1721.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Please note: your comments must be submitted electronically as an attachment in
either WORD or WordPerfect. Comments should be no longer than 10 pages and there
should be no additional attachments. Thank you for your help in this important
effort.
MODEL LETTER
Congressman E. Clay Shaw
Chairman Subcommittee on Trade of the Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House
of Representatives
Dear Congressman Shaw,
I am writing to urge
your support for including H.R. 915 Cultural Conservation of the Crossroads of
Civilization Act ("A bill to authorize the President to take certain actions to
protect archaeological or ethnological materials of Afghanistan") in the Miscellaneous
Tariffs bill. This Act grants authority to the President to impose emergency import
restrictions to prevent the import into the United States of antiquities and other
cultural materials that have been illegally removed from Afghan cultural institutions
and other locations, particularly archaeological sites in Afghanistan.
This
legislation is necessary because archaeological sites are now being looted on
a large scale in Afghanistan. The heritage of Afghanistan has played an important
role in the world's historical and cultural development. The looting of sites
destroys the historical, cultural, religious and scientific information that is
derived through the careful, systematic excavation of sites. When this record
is destroyed we are all the poorer for it.
The looting of sites and theft
from museums in Afghanistan have been significant problems for many years. As
with Iraq, the United States has undertaken a special relationship with Afghanistan.
Concern for preservation of the cultural heritage of Afghanistan must be given
equal consideration.
Sites are looted of antiquities so that they can
be sold ultimately to markets in Western Europe and the United States. It is crucial
that the President be given this authority to prevent the import into the United
States of looted cultural materials and thereby reduce the incentive for theft
and destruction of archaeological sites. Enactment of this legislation will help
the United States to fulfill its obligations to the Afghan people and help to
enrich our understanding of the world's and our own cultural heritage.
[SIGNED]
[YOUR NAME]
[TITLE AND INSTITUTION IF APPLICABLE]
NOTE:
it is always best if you personalize letters such as these by saying something
about who you are and why you are interested in this issue. The Committee is just
as interested in hearing from members of the public as in hearing from academics
(perhaps more so). Everyone's comments will count here! Please feel free to forward
this information to others you think would like to help in this effort.
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