Australia Hero of Bondi Beach: "My soul made me do it"
His courage has impressed people around the world: Ahmed al-Ahmed disarmed one of the attackers in the deadly terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14 and was shot twice in the left arm himself.
29.12.2025, 13:46
SDA
The footage of his courageous intervention was clicked millions of times online. Now the 44-year-old has spoken publicly for the first time: "My soul made me do it," al-Ahmed told US broadcaster CBS.
"I didn't want to see people die"
He quickly grabbed one of the perpetrators from behind and seized 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 me. 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 calling for help."
According to the Australian broadcaster ABC, al-Ahmed - who comes from Syria and is now an Australian citizen - had to undergo several operations for his injuries. The attack at a Jewish festival on Sydney's world-famous Bondi Beach left 16 people dead, including one of the perpetrators.
Fundraising campaign brings in millions
Family man 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 from him and stop him from killing innocent people."
His intervention forced the gunman to retreat without injuring anyone else. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described al-Ahmed as a role model for all Australians. British King Charles and US President Donald Trump also praised his bravery. A fundraising campaign for his recovery has so far raised more than 2.6 million Australian dollars (1.38 million Swiss francs).
