Ahmed al-Ahmad ‘made all Syrians, Muslims proud’: Uncle of ‘hero’ bystander who tackled Sydney’s Bondi shooter

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – When Ahmed al-Ahmad ran and wrestled a gun from a shooter at Bondi beach in Sydney, he was simply thinking of saving the victims, “whether they are Jews, Israelis, or anyone else,” his uncle said.

“It was a courageous act by my nephew,” Mohammad Ahmad al-Ahmad told Anadolu in an exclusive interview.

“He ran to disarm the attacker and prevent a loss of lives. It is a feeling beyond description.”

“Ahmed was brave — a man in every sense of the word,” he added.

Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two girls, risked his life by running at one of the gunmen and seizing his weapon before rounding the gun on him and forcing the shooter to surrender. He was shot multiple times and sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and shoulder.

“Ahmed is a source of pride for us. He made all Syrians and Muslims proud,” his uncle said.

At least 16 people, including one of the attackers, were killed and 40 others injured in Sunday’s attack, which took place during an event to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The death toll could have been higher had Ahmad failed to tackle one of the shooters.

Ahmed was hailed as a “hero” by Australian officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as by US President Donald Trump.

"We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others,” Albanese said. "These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives."

Trump also praised the Australian-Syrian man, saying he had "great respect" for him.

"It's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives," he said.

- From Idlib to Australia

Ahmed’s uncle said the family is originally from the village of Al-Nayrab in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

The Australian-Syrian hero was born in 1981 and studied at the University of Aleppo, where he obtained a university degree, before traveling to Australia in 2007 and settling in Sydney.

He initially worked in construction before opening a vegetable supermarket.

His uncle said the family got calls “from everywhere, from near and far” when the news of his nephew’s tackling one of the gunmen spread.

An Anadolu reporter visited Ahmed’s home in the Idlib countryside. The two-story building appears empty and destroyed by the country’s civil war under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Destruction is also visible on all surrounding buildings in the area, whose residents were displaced by the Assad regime.

During the interview, Ahmed’s uncle showed the Anadolu correspondent a video on his mobile phone of his nephew lying in his hospital bed, with signs of fatigue appearing on his face due to his injuries.

“Ahmed acted bravely to save the victims regardless of their nationality, whether they are Jews, Israelis or anyone else.”

In a separate interview in Sydney, Ahmed thanked those who supported him and asked for prayers.

“By Allah, I went through a very difficult phase — only Allah knows it,” he said, asking his mother to pray for him and expressing hope that his injury would be minor.

“You are in my heart,” he added.