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| ODD STORIES - Senegal |
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 08 Jan (TBA) Senegal row over nude statue
The architect of a huge statue (pictured) being built in Senegal has suggested he needs to cover the legs of the bare-breasted female figure to overcome a row over nudity.
The $27m (£17m) monument, which will be bigger than the Statue of Liberty has apparently upset religious leaders in the mainly Muslim nation, with imams saying it was idolatrous and a waste of money.
Architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa told journalists in the capital, Dakar, that he had received complaints about the woman's "naked legs".
He said that he has now proposed to President Abdoulaye Wade that the legs be covered with a concrete cloth.
Other groups say it is sexist as the man appears to be dragging the woman.
The 49-m (160-ft) bronze statue, the brainchild of President Wade, depicts three scantily clad figures - a man holding a scantily clad woman behind him and a child aloft, pointing out to sea.
The president hopes the statue will attract more tourists to the country but many Senegalese feel the money could be better spent.
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