Trudeau minister raises eyebrows by calling Taliban 'our brothers'

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Canada's minister for women and gender equality referred to the Taliban as "our brothers" during a virtual news conference Wednesday morning.

"I want to take this opportunity to speak to our brothers, the Taliban," Maryam Monsef said. "We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individual in Afghanistan out of the country." 

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"We call on you to immediately stop the violence, the genocide, the femicide, the destruction of infrastructure, including heritage buildings," she continued. "We call on you to immediately return to the peacekeeping table, to the peace deal that was negotiated, and to ensure that women and minority voices are a part of that discussion in a meaningful way."

Monsef, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, was frequently touted as Canada's first Afghan-born member of Parliament until she conceded she was actually born in Iran, CTV News reported in 2016.

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Monsef's comments come as U.S.-allied countries grapple with trying to get evacuees out of Afghanistan following President Biden's troop withdrawal that led to the Taliban's rapid takeover of the country.

A video of her comments tweeted Wednesday by Canadian political strategist Warren Kinsella and shared by Rebel News founder Ezra Levant quickly racked up thousands of views.