Bruce Lee a Symbol of Unity in Divided Bosnian town

An ethnically-divided Bosnian city has agreed
to erect a new symbol of unity - a statue of kung fu legend
Bruce Lee, worshipped by Muslims, Serbs and Croats.
In the city of Mostar, a group of enthusiasts came up with the
idea of honoring the childhood hero of the city's ethnic groups
back in 2003, on the 30th anniversary of his death.
They launched the project, found donors and waited a year for
the city's approval.
"We plan to erect the statue in November in the centre of the
city," Veselin Gatalo, a member of the Urban Movement
organisation, told Reuters.
"This will be a monument to universal justice
that Mostar needs more than any other city I know."
He said Mostar, scene of fighting between Muslims and Croats in
1993-1994, needed a symbol of justice, mastery and honesty -
virtues upheld by the late Chinese-American actor.
Born in San Francisco, Bruce Lee starred in
several kung fu movies, including 1973's Enter the
Dragon. He died at the age of 32 from swelling on the
brain.
A German organisation agreed last year to sponsor the project
with a 5,000 euros grant.
The statue, cast in bronze and showing the martial arts master
in a typical fighting pose, will be designed by a local
sculptor and put up in central Mostar.
Lee's widow Linda will be invited to attend the ceremony.
For years, reconciliation in post-war Mostar was slower than
anywhere else in Bosnia.
But the reconstruction of the city's Old Bridge last year has
helped reunite Muslim and Croat communities separated by the
river.
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