Mullah Omar, leader of Afghanistan's Taliban militia, on Wednesday rejected a call from President Hamid Karzai for peace talks, in a statement issued ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Azha. "The people of Afghanistan will not agree to negotiation which prolongs and legitimises the invader's military presence in our beloved country. Afghanistan is our home," a Taliban statement quoted Omar as saying. Mullah Omar's message ahead of Eid came a week after President Hamid Karzai reached out to the Taliban during his inauguration speech, saying it was important to include in the government former Taliban who were ready to renounce terrorism.