AL-NAYRAB, Syria (AFP) - Bondi Beach hero Ahmed al Ahmed, who put his life on the line by wresting a gun from an attacker in Australia's deadly mass shooting, has become a source of pride for his hometown in Syria.
"His act is a source of pride for us and for Syria," Ahmed's uncle Mohammed, a farmer, told AFP in the town of Al-Nayrab.
Ahmed, a fruit seller and father of two children, emigrated to Australia from Syria in 2007, 60-year-old Mohammed said.
On Sunday, 44-year-old Ahmed became a hero when he intercepted an attack on a gathering for a Jewish festival marking the start of Hanukkah.
The attackers killed 15 people, and shot Ahmed several times in the shoulder during his tussle.
'Ideology'
A father and son were driven by "Islamic State ideology" when they fired on crowds at Bondi Beach in one of Australia's deadliest mass shootings, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on people thronging the famous beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening.
Authorities said the attack was designed to sow panic among the nation's Jews, but have so far given little detail about the gunmen's deeper motivations.
Albanese gave one of the first hints that the pair had been radicalized by an "ideology of hate."
"It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology," Albanese told national broadcaster ABC.
The pair travelled to the Philippines before the shootings and authorities are investigating whether they met Islamist extremists during the trip, Australian media reported.
Manila's immigration department confirmed to AFP that the pair spent almost all of November in the Philippines, with their final destination listed as Davao.
The province, on the southern island of Mindanao, has a long history of Islamist insurgencies against central government rule.
Indian police said that Sajid was an Indian citizen, who had left his city of Hyderabad in the southern state of Telangana in 1998, saying in a statement that he had had "limited contact with his family" since.
His son Naveed is an Australian citizen, Indian police said.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, visiting Israel on Tuesday, offered his "very sincere, deep condolences" and said New Delhi condemns the attack "in the strongest possible terms".
Syria's pride in Ahmed
Ahmed's uncle said he was scrolling through his socials when he came across the video that has since become viral, showing his nephew wrestling one of the attackers.
"I suspected that this was my nephew, so I called his father and he confirmed to me that Ahmed was the one who took the weapon," he said.
The footage showed Ahmed ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailants' hands.
"This incident caused a global sensation. He is from Syria and he is a Muslim, and he had no motivation for doing this other than heroism and bravery," the uncle said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told national broadcaster ABC the attack appeared to be "motivated by Islamic State ideology".
He lauded Ahmed's efforts when visiting him in hospital, saying "his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians."
An online fundraiser has received more than AU$1.9 million ($1.2 million) in donations for Ahmed's medical fees.
Brave
According to Mohammed, Ahmed left Al-Nayrab for Australia in 2007, starting out as a construction worker before opening a fruit and vegetable shop in Sydney.
His parents went to visit him over two months ago, and were still there at the time of the attack.
In a modest home in the village, which suffered from heavy bombing throughout Syria's war, Ahmed's proud grandmother prayed for him: "May God be pleased with him and grant him success."
Al-Nayrab is located in Idlib province, much of which fell out of ruler Bashar al-Assad's grip early in the war.
As the town's residents now work to rebuild their homes following Assad's ouster in 2024, Ahmed's name was on every resident's lips.
His home, however, is abandoned, with no doors or windows, and the roof still damaged by bombing.
"We are proud of what Ahmed, the son of our village, did. ... His act was heroic and no one else could have done it," said Abdul Rahman al-Mohammed, 30, while working in his tire repair shop, praising him for saving "innocent lives" after stopping the attack.
"We ask God for his speedy recovery," he added.
While sorting boxes of apples in front of his home, Youssef al-Ali, an old friend of Ahmed's, recalled their long evenings filled with joy and laughter before he left.
"When I saw on Facebook that he was injured, I was very upset, but his was a heroic act, may God heal his wounds," the 45-year-old told AFP. "He has always been brave, a man of principle."
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By OMAR HAJ KADOUR Agence France-Presse
Source: Courthouse News Service
