"Our Brothers, The Taliban"

Liberal MP Monsef briefing call.  Screenshot

"I want to take this opportunity to speak to our brothers, the Taliban."

"We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individual in Afghanistan out of the country."

"The Taliban are a terrorist group and yet they've claimed to be Muslims. We are calling on them, to immediately cease the violence, the femicide, the genocide, the rapes, the lootings and to return immediately to the peace negotiation table in an inclusive and meaningful way."

Liberal Member of Parliament, Maryam Monsef, Minister of Women and Gender Equality

This Minister in the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaks of 'we', the government of Canada's expectations of the Taliban to comport themselves in a civilized manner. While speaking of their exploits in the Islamist terrorism cycle of conquest, defeat and return ... while excelling in the sport of genocide, rape, looting, an fundamentalist group of Islamist diehards who have their place on many countries' list of terrorists, including Canada's ... as a 'brother'.

 

When Hamid Karzai was in power at the political helm in Afghanistan, he was often infuriated at U.S. bombing raids against the Taliban, deploring the killing of the terrorists who thought nothing of killing other Afghans, yet speaking of them as 'brothers'. A mere cultural courtesy, responded Maryam Monsef, when she was queried about her choice of words and her seeming sympathies. Canadian soldiers, a diplomat and a journalist were killed by the Taliban during their assignment in Afghanistan. None among them thought of the Taliban as 'brothers'.

 

Hamid Karzai, however, a member of the ethnic Pashtun tribe like most Taliban, is now in negotiation with the Taliban, his 'brothers'. Making an effort, he feels, to bring them to reason. That in their second time around as the newly re-installed Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, they might consider being less harsh in their administration of the country; as in no public floggings for offences such as men being clean-shaven, or women unescorted and not wearing burqas in public.

 

No impulsive beheadings, either. To consider, on the other hand, inclusiveness of the people of Afghanistan, treating all equally, the many different tribes and ethnicities. To achieve international recognition in moderation. To be vigilant that no other Islamist fundamentalist groups bitterly offended at the very existence of Western cultures and politics, seek to use Afghan soil as nurturing and launch-off spots for their terrorism-abroad plans to appease their rage and deliver more martyrs to the cause.

 

The Prime Minister of Canada saw fit to appoint a woman to ministerial posts whose cultural heritage was that of Afghanistan, a woman whose ethnic/cultural heritage has far more in common with her past, born in Iran of Afghan refugees who later returned with her to Afghanistan before finally leaving for the West -- to the ministry of Democratic Institutions. When she failed in that portfolio, she was shunted to the ministry of Women and Gender Equality.

 

Both choices incredibly inappropriate, but a reflection of Justin Trudeau's penchant for elevating ethnic minority candidates reflecting Canada's massive absorption of ethnic and cultural groups from all over the world who eventually form a voting bloc. That it might be wiser to allow immigrants to first immerse themselves in Canadian culture and values before bestowing on them the privilege of helping to administer the country's affairs plays second fiddle to reaping the vote.

 

Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace after the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Person second from left is a former bodyguard for Ghani. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi)

 

The victorious Taliban whose swift return to power while brushing away any opposition the duly elected government or/and the national police along with the military initially proffered, are not in the habit of taking advice from mere women, much less from advice emanating from foreign countries, particularly one of no great reputation as a power broker. Evidently Maryam Monsef feels comfortable enough to address the terrorist group with the self-confidence of vainglorious conceit.

Even Hillel Neuer, director of United Nations Watch commented: "158 Canadian soldiers died fighting the Taliban. Thousands wounded, Taliban not our brothers." An Afghan refugee and political analyist, Zahra Sultani responded: "If you think ppl of Afghanistan -- even the most illiterate -- are OK with calling Taliban 'brother' and it's not a big deal, you're a bigot. Taliban is our enemy not our brother!"

"Our BROTHERS the Taliban. Just take a moment and think about what that means to our troops and allies who fought and died in Afghanistan over the last 20 years", wrote David Jacobs, a frequent Twitter commenter on the failings and absurdities of the Canadian government under Justin Trudeau. Unknown thousands of people, mostly Afghans desperate to escape Taliban rule in their country court death by crowding around the Kabul airport in a desperate effort to depart elsewhere. None seem to regard the Taliban as their 'brothers'.