Mongolia erects Genghis Khan statue

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia, July 11 (UPI) -- A statue of Mongolian leader Genghis Khan has been erected in Ulan Bator as part of festivities celebrating the anniversary of the nation's unification.

The statue, made of stone and earth taken from Mongolian holy sites, was unveiled Monday, Britain's Telegraph newspaper reported.

"May the spirit of the great Genghis Khan inspire the future of the Mongolian people and lead it once again to prosperity," Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar said at the ceremony.

Nomch Davaanyam, a 30th-generation descendant of Khan, said many outside the country do not understand the reverence Mongolians have for the leader.

"People know his military side but they do not know his philosophy," he told the Telegraph.

American Jack Weatherford, an anthropologist and author of "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World," agreed with Davaanyam.

"The West was blinded by his conquests," he said to the newspaper. "They overlooked his great impact on law and commerce. He outlawed the kidnapping of women, guaranteed diplomatic immunity to ambassadors and granted religious freedom to all people."