AP: Mongolian lawmakers debate use of Genghis Khan name

In the Muslim world, Genghis Khan is viewed as the leader of a barbaric army that massacared, raped, pillaged and destroyed everything in its path. In Mongolia, he is hailed as a symbol of national pride.

An excerpt from an Associated Press article that ran in USA Today:

“Since Mongolia emerged from the shadow of the Soviet Union in 1991, the isolated Asian nation has applied the moniker of its favorite son to more than half a dozen brands of vodka and beer and a variety of other commercial products.

“The trend reflects the immense pride Mongolians feel about a man who established an empire that stretched across Asia all the way to central Europe in the early 13th century.

“While Genghis Khan is reviled in much of the world as a symbol of barbarism, Mongolians see him as a symbol of order and civilization. He is a touchstone of national identity in a nation sandwiched between Russia and China and wary of being swallowed up by either.”

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• AP: Mongolian lawmakers debate use of Genghis Khan name