[MSN] federal judge has ordered to confiscate and put on auction a collection of invaluable Persian relics, currently in the possession of Chicago University's Oriental Institute, to compensate victims of the 1997 bombing in Israel.

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Persian Artifacts, Victims of Political Crisis 

  A federal judge has ordered to confiscate and put on auction a collection
of invaluable Persian relics, currently in the possession of Chicago
University's Oriental Institute, to compensate victims of the 1997 bombing
in Israel.  

Tehran, 1 July 2006 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- While the world is seeking for
peace through highlighting the cultural values of different countries
through which political disputes may be settled down, it seems that Iranian
historical relics have fallen victim of political crisis. 

By ruling to confiscate the valuable collection of Persian relics held in
trust at University of Chicago, and rejecting the ownership of Iran over
these artifacts, an American federal judge has added fuel to the fire of the
recent political crisis.

While in today's world, the United Nations and its sub-branch, UNESCO, are
trying to bring different nations closer together through highlighting the
importance of culture to combat political tensions, it seems that issuing of
this order has just worsened the situation. 

Thousands of ancient clay tablets containing information about the life and
languages of the people of the Persian Empire were discovered in Persepolis,
Iran, in 1933 by archeologists of the Oriental Institute of Chicago
University and were lent to this institute due to its request to carry out
more studies on them. These clay tablets are 2500 years old, through which
historians were able to find detailed information about the lifestyle of the
people who lived in Ancient Persia centuries ago. 300 pieces of these
tablets were returned to Iran two years ago upon mutual agreement between
Iranian cultural heritage authorities and the Oriental Institute of Chicago
University. Ignoring Iran's undisputed right over these invaluable
artifacts, an American federal judge ordered to confiscate these ancient
relics and put them on auction to compensate Israeli families who lost
members in a bomb explosion in Ben Yehuda Mall on Sept. 4, 1997 under the
false pretext that Iran was partly responsible for this explosion and has to
pay for it now!

Nine years ago, on Sept. 4, 1997, suicide bombers set off explosive devices
in Ben Yehuda shopping mall, a popular tourist destination in Jerusalem,
killing five and leaving an approximately 200 wounded. Out of those who were
injured in the blast, five Americans decided to sue Iran on grounds that the
government sponsored the attack. After winning his clients a $ 71.5 million
rule against Iran, Rhode Island lawyer, David J. Strachman, argued that
institutions such as the University of Chicago illegally removed historical
relics from archeological sites in Iran during the 1930s, rendering those
items the property of the current Iranian government. 

Strachman made international headlines last year after representing the
families of victims killed in the 1997 attack in Israel. As a result of
Strachman's landmark suit against Hamas, which had claimed responsibility of
the said suicide bombing, a federal judge awarded $116 million in damage to
the victims and orphaned children, allowing the families to pursue the
seizing of the assets of Hamas in the United States.

Arguing that Iran was also responsible for the bombing because of its
support from Hamas, Starchman asked the Federal Court to confiscate Iran's
assets in the US, including its ancient artifacts in Chicago University, as
compensation to the families of the victims. When Iran did not show up in
court, the judge ruled for the plaintiffs by default, awarding them damages
of $423.5 million. Though a victory for Strachman and his clients, that left
his the task of collecting from Iran's assets in the US. Among them the
collection of Persian artifacts housed at the University of Chicago's
Oriental Institute. Moreover, referring to Chicago University's claim
linking Iran's absence in the court to its past experiences with the
American legal system, in a decision published 23rd of June 2006, Manning
ruled the university's "brazen accusation that the courts of the United
States are hostile to Iran and that, as a result, Iran should be excused
from bothering to assert its rights, is wholly unsupported."

In response to this decision, the university invoked an ancient legal
principle, known as sovereign immunity, which holds that governments can't
be sued just like ordinary citizens. "It was only one of several lines of
defenses we've offered," said Joe Brennan, vice president and general
council for the Field Museum. 

Lawyers of the University of Chicago appeared in Federal District Court at
the ending days of the year 2005 and argued that it needs to protect Iran's
rights to the property, even though Iran declined to come to court. The
university's lawyers argued that though Iran had not asserted that defense,
it was doing it on Iran's behalf. The University of Chicago claimed the
Iranians were gun-shy because of bad experiences with the American legal
system; however, this claim was rejected by the United States District
Judge, Blanche M. Manning, in Chicago who ruled in favor of Strachman and
his clients. Still, university lawyers maintain their optimism and
commitment towards keeping the Persian artifacts in Chicago University. 

Now after 6 months and despite the efforts made by University of Chicago,
once again the federal judge has rejected the key defense by this university
in a lawsuit over rights to ancient Persian artifacts including some
invaluable cuneiform inscriptions. 

Based on a report recently released by Chicago Tribune, the next step which
will be taken by Rhode Island lawyer is to auction the pieces to compensate
victims of Middle Eastern violence on the false grounds that Iran is a state
sponsor of terrorism. 

The judge's rebuke of University of Chicago left several other lines of
defense still to be heard. The case, which also involves the Field Museum,
comes back to court for another hearing later in July. Brennan says that his
party is "confident of winning", although he declined commenting on the
judge's ruling since the case is still open.

According to Chicago Tribune, the judge's decision is bound to ripple
through the American museum community as it has been announced at a time
that American museums are facing tough questions about how they acquired
certain collections.