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Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke for all Canadians yesterday when he denounced the "unforgivable hatred, brutality and violence" of the terror attacks that police say killed some 120 people and injured 300 in Mumbai, India's commercial capital.
The brazen, well-planned bloodbath at major hotels, hospitals, the railway station and other sites was calculated to shake India's brash self-confidence and scare off foreigners, strain ties with Pakistan, and fan tension between Hindus and Muslims. While the terrorists got the notoriety they sought, as the world looked on in horror, they must be denied the wider victory they crave.
Apart from expressing sympathy, the Canadian government and other friendly countries whose citizens were held hostage, injured or killed should send a strong signal of solidarity that we will not be deterred by this violence from doing business with India. Rather, we will seek new opportunities to strengthen ties.
Moreover, while Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had reason to believe the killers were "based outside the country," implying ties with Pakistani extremists or Al Qaeda, both nations must act with restraint, and not allow the crisis to derail efforts to improve relations. It may be no coincidence that the attacks came just as India and Pakistan were holding high-level talks this week to review progress on their fragile peace process. Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani rightly condemned the violence and voiced "deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives." Wisely, the dialogue will continue.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan owe it to their people to manage irritants such as the status of the disputed Kashmir region, rather than be drawn into a potentially catastrophic conflict. Whether the attackers prove to be homegrown Indian extremists, Pakistani-based militants or Al Qaeda-influenced jihadists, both countries should co-operate to track down their enablers and put them out of business.
Finally, within India itself, these attacks should not lead to Hindu-Muslim conflict. The killers, who did not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims when they machine-gunned crowds, would like nothing better. They must be denied that cruel satisfaction.
