The Syrian-Australian man who disarmed one of the alleged Bondi Beach gunmen has been hailed as a hero in Syria, where footage of his brave actions are being widely watched and shared.
“All Syrians would do this,” said one man in Damascus proudly, while looking at a video of Ahmed al-Ahmed in hospital on his phone.
Fruit seller Ahmed was captured on camera sneaking between two cars, before rushing forward to tackle and disarm one of the alleged attackers on Sunday. In the video, viewed tens of millions of times online, he jumps up behind the man, pulling the gun off him.
The gunmen were targeting Jewish people gathering to mark the start of Hanukkah at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. At least 15 people were killed, as well as one of the alleged gunmen. Ahmed, who has two young daughters, was shot multiple times.
RM Block
Ahmed – in his 40s – comes from Nayrab, in Idlib, northwest Syria, but has lived in Australia for almost two decades, where he has citizenship.
Nayrab was under rebel control for much of Syria’s long war and is largely destroyed. Ahmed’s parents recently travelled to join him in Australia.
“His act is a source of pride for us and for Syria,” Ahmed’s uncle, 60-year-old farmer Mohammed, told AFP news agency. Mohammed said he found out what had happened through social media.
“This incident caused a global sensation. He is from Syria and he is a Muslim and he had no motivation for doing this other than heroism and bravery,” his uncle said.
Ahmed’s parents, Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed and Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, told ABC their son would have done whatever he could to protect people. “When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving, the people dying in the street,” his father said.
“He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another . . . “I feel pride and honour because my son is a hero of Australia.”
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese visited Ahmed in hospital, calling him “an Australian hero . . . You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist. In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night.”
US president Donald Trump said he had “great respect” for the “very brave” Syrian man.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales state, called Ahmed’s heroism “the most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen”, saying he saved “countless” lives.
Some photographs of Ahmed show him lying in his hospital bed wearing a scarf with the new Syrian flag draped around his neck. The country has officially adopted the former green, black and white revolutionary flag since Bashar al-Assad’s regime was ousted from power last year.
An online fundraiser for Ahmed has raised more than €2.12 million. “In a moment of chaos and danger, Ahmed al-Ahmed stepped forward without hesitation,” the description reads. “His actions were selfless, instinctive and undeniably heroic, taken without regard for his own safety… No one expects to be a hero, but when the moment came, he was.”
Donors included American billionaire William Ackman, who gave more than €85,000.
