Canadian minister calls Taliban "our brothers"

Canada's minister for women and gender equality Maryam Monsef referred to the Taliban as "our brothers" during a virtual news conference, Report informs, citing Fox News.

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

"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."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government has no plans to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government in Afghanistan.