As shock waves passed through Australia following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, one citizen took singular action among moments of chaos following a shooting incident.
Ahmed al-Ahmed, a 43-year-old Syrian-born Australian citizen, appeared in a video confronting one of the shooters and physically knocking a gun out of his hand.
Also Read | 'He’d do it again': Bondi Beach hero fights for life after disarming gunman during Hanukkah attack
Family recognises him through viral videos
However, back in Syria, Ahmed’s relatives were able to learn more about what he was doing through social media videos that went viral in mere hours. As per a report by Reuters, the relatives recognised him in the videos and quickly contacted his father to confirm whether it was indeed him in the videos.
“We learned through social media. I called his father and he told me that it was Ahmed. Ahmed is a hero, we're proud of him. Syria in general is proud of him,” his uncle Mohammed al-Ahmed told Reuters.
Courage rooted in lessons from childhood
His uncle said that the reaction of Ahmed to the attack of December 14 reflected the values that his nephew demonstrated from a young age. Describing his nephew as gallant, joyful, and passionate, Mohammed al-Ahmed asserted: “He acted impulsively without thinking who the people were that were being killed - without knowing their religion, if they were Muslim or Christian or Jewish. That's what made him jump up and carry out this heroic act,” he told Reuters.
Showing journalists the rubble of Ahmed’s family’s home in Syria, his cousin said that this incident has proven to the world, “Muslims are peacemakers, not warmongers.”
Also Read | Bondi Beach shooting: New footage captures tense standoff before shooter was neutralised | WATCH
Ahmed al-Ahmed moved to Australia about 20 years ago. According to a Reuters report, after obtaining his degree from Aleppo University, he left Syria in 2006, moving abroad because of a need for job security. He had been living there ever since.
Reportedly, during the shooting, Ahmed was wounded and is still undergoing treatment in one of the hospitals in Sydney. The attack at Bondi Beach, referred to as Australia's Sickest Mass Shooting in 30 Years, resulted in the death of 16 people, including one of the shooters. Ahmed's heroism has received recognition from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Donald Trump.
