Ahmed al Ahmed’s selfless bravery during the Bondi Beach attack shows evil will never win - Jayne Dowle
In the midst of the horror on Bondi Beach, we are reminded that humanity exists and it’s brave, selfless and instinctive. Who could fail to be in awe of 43-year-old shopkeeper Ahmed al Ahmed, who wrestled a gun from one of the two active shooters, before coolly turning it on assailant Sajid Akram, and forcing him to retreat.
Akram, 50, who is understood to have launched the antisemitic attack which took 15 lives and left dozens injured, with his son, Naveed Akram, 24, was then shot dead by police.
The video clip of Ahmed immediately went viral, with even President Trump praising the actions of “a very, very brave person” who saved many lives.
On Sunday morning, I woke up to the news of an ‘incident’ at Bondi Beach and had the TV coverage on all day, but my son came into the living room with his phone to show me the video clip of Ahmed’s actions before it even appeared on the news.
We watched the clip over and over again, agreeing that this brave man must surely be militarily trained, to be able to show so much courage and to retain his composure.
The footage has now been viewed on global social media millions and millions of times; the power of moving images speaking for itself.
When it turned out that Ahmed, a Muslim, came from Syria to Australia some 20 years ago, and lives a quiet life running his business and raising two young daughters, his actions were even more breathtaking. And will surely give many judgmental people pause for thought.
It’s reported that Ahmed was walking with his cousin on their way to get a coffee, as hundreds of Jewish people gathered on the beach to celebrate the start of Hanukkah celebrations.
Those who would seek to use divisive rhetoric to spread fear and distrust would perhaps be appalled to see people of different faiths happily co-existing together like this.
Then carnage unfolded, as the gunmen, in a clearly planned attack, opened fire on the fleeing crowds. Ahmed and other brave individuals who tried to intervene didn’t think about themselves but tried to protect others.
Dashcam footage posted to the Chinese social media platform Rednote shows married couple Boris Gurman and Sofia Gurman, both in their sixties, tackling Sajid Akram as he emerged from his car, which had an Islamic State flag draped over the windscreen. Despite their efforts, he shot them both dead.
In the same clip that shows Ahmed’s actions, another man can be seen hurling an object at the gunman as he fled. The daughter of this person identified her father at Reuven Morrison, telling CBS News: “If there was one way for him to go on this earth, it would be fighting a terrorist. There was no other way he would be taken from us. He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved most.”
These dead heroes cannot speak for what happened, but Ahmed, shot four to five times in his shoulder and arm during the altercation, can.
From his hospital bed, where he is undergoing surgery for his serious injuries, Ahmed said he “appreciated the efforts of everyone” – a GoFund me appeal has already raised more than $1m to support his recovery and family - and asked his mother to pray for him. “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, speaking to reporters. “He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another. He made us proud - our village, Syria, all Muslims and the entire world."
Ahmed Sr makes a very valid point, but sadly – and increasingly – others see far too many differences between one citizen and another. It is this which is quite literally, with bullets and bombs, tearing humanity apart.
Who would have thought that sunny morning on Bondi Beach, that within minutes, the world would have darkened once more and innocent people, including children, would be running for their lives?
Once again, we are all forced to ask ourselves, ‘what would we do?’. It’s shockingly acceptable now to talk about this, to consider what if any physical skills we might be able to use, or what we could use as a defensive weapon.
Whilst politicians seem powerless to stop the hatred, or even fuel the fires, it’s up to us to prove that above all, humanity is precious, regardless of religion, race or creed.
If we could do only half of what Ahmed al Ahmed and those other brave Bondi Beach individuals did, we would be showing evil that it will never win.