His courage has impressed people around the world: Ahmed al-Ahmed disarmed one of the attackers in the deadly terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14th and was himself shot twice in the left arm. The footage of his courageous intervention was viewed millions of times online. Now the 44-year-old has spoken publicly for the first time: “My soul made me do this,” al-Ahmed told the American broadcaster CBS.
In the days following the Bondi Beach attack, scores of people left candles. Photo: AFP
He quickly decided to grab one of the perpetrators from behind and grab his weapon. “Everything in my heart and my brain worked together to save people’s lives,” he emphasized, adding: “I felt something, a force in my body, in my brain. And I didn’t want to see people being killed in front of my eyes, I didn’t want to see blood, I didn’t want to hear his gun, I didn’t want to see people screaming and begging and screaming for help.”
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According to Australian broadcaster ABC, al-Ahmed – who was originally from Syria and is now an Australian citizen – required multiple operations for his injuries. In the attack on a Jewish festival on the world-famous Bondi Beach in Sydney, 16 people died, including one perpetrator.
I felt something, a force in my body, in my brain.
Ahmed al-Ahmed
Hero of Bondi Beach
The father of the family, al-Ahmed, was near the beach with a friend when the attack on visitors to a Hanukkah festival began. Despite his injuries, he remained focused on stopping the 50-year-old perpetrator, the father of the second attacker. He didn’t think much about it, explained al-Ahmed. “I just wanted to take the gun away from him and stop him from killing innocent people.”
According to media reports, the man is Ahmed Al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner and father of two. Video: Reuters
His intervention forced the shooter to retreat without injuring anyone else. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described al-Ahmed as a role model for all Australians. King Charles and US President Donald Trump also praised his bravery. A fundraiser for his recovery has so far raised over 2.6 million Australian dollars (1.5 million euros).
