TEHRAN (Defapress) – During the terrorist attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, a Muslim man dazzled the world with his bravery. Ahmed Al-Ahmed, of Syrian origin, was the one who, in a heroic raid, risked his own life to disarm one of the terrorists and save many lives.
Ahmed Al-Ahmed’s family says it was a humanitarian duty. His cousin also says: “Ahmed Al-Ahmed attacked the terrorist on Bondi Beach and took a gun from him because he couldn’t bear to see people being killed.”
Ahmed Al-Ahmed was shot five times and is currently hospitalized in Sydney’s St. George’s Hospital. The 43-year-old father of two young daughters has now become a global celebrity and has been hailed as a hero by the Australian Prime Minister, the New South Wales Premier, and the US President.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Al-Ahmed at a press conference on Monday as an example of “the unity of Australians” and praised his actions.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns immediately visited Ahmed Al-Ahmed and praised him on Instagram as a “true hero.” “His incredible bravery saved countless lives last night. He disarmed a terrorist at the risk of his own life. There is no doubt that without Al-Ahmed’s courage and sacrifice, many more lives would have been lost,” Minns wrote.
According to the latest news and reports from the attack on Sunday on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, at least 16 people, including one gunman, were killed.
“Ahmed al-Ahmed has undergone surgery and is recovering, but has two more surgeries to go,” al-Ahmed’s cousin, Jozi, said after the incident. “He has taken a lot of medication and cannot speak well.”
“Ahmed intervened to carry out a humanitarian duty. He is very happy that he saved people’s lives. When Ahmed saw the scene of the killing, he told me that he could not take it anymore. God has given me the strength, and I will stop this killing. My cousin is an Australian citizen from the Syrian city of Idlib.”
Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Ahmed’s parents, Mohammed Fateh Al-Ahmed and Malika Hassan Al-Ahmed, told the ABC they were praying for the recovery of their son, who has five bullet wounds. “He used to be a police officer, and he was always passionate about defending people. We are praying that God will save him,” Ahmed’s father told the ABC.
According to his parents, Al-Ahmed was having coffee with a friend on the beach when he heard the gunshots. They said he would do anything to protect people. “I’m sure Ahmed wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he was saving; he was just thinking about his humanitarian duty,” his father said.
The media director of the Australians Supporting Syria Association visited Al-Ahmed on Monday afternoon to deliver a tray of food and flowers. “What he did is the work of a superhero,” noted Lubabah Al-Hamidi Al-Kaheel. “The Australian community is very proud of him. You may not believe it, but when we watched the news, many of us felt like he was like the Syrians. As a Muslim, every time there is an attack, I worry about Islamophobia. Our religion is a religion of peace, and we are very peaceful people. Al-Ahmed’s sacrifice proved that.”