By Amanda Connolly Global News
Canadian Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef clarified her comments on Wednesday when she called the Taliban, a group the country recognizes as a terrorism organization, ‘our brothers.’ Monsef reiterated the Canada condemns their actions in Afghanistan and that she meant it as a ‘cultural’ reference.
(GLOBAL NEWS) If you have social media, you’ve probably seen the clip: Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef calling the Taliban “our brothers” during a press conference on Canadian evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.
Monsef is running to be re-elected as the Liberal MP for Peterborough—Kawartha but spoke with journalists Wednesday in her role as the gender equality minister and part of the contingent of cabinet ministers currently shaping the government’s participation in the international air bridge out of Kabul.
But it was the way she addressed the Taliban — a listed terrorist entity in Canada — that quickly prompted a flood of tweets, including from alt-right pundits, accusing her of supporting or sympathizing with the extremist regime that seized control of Afghanistan nearly two weeks ago.
“I want to take this opportunity to speak to our brothers, the Taliban,” she said, adding that the government calls on the group to ensure anyone wanting to leave Afghanistan can do so safely, to honour the peace deal and to allow women and the voices of minority groups to be heard “in a meaningful way.”