The Syrian-born man who was shot multiple times after disarming one of the gunmen in last month's terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, praised President Donald Trump, calling him "a hero for the world."
Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, arrived in New York on Tuesday for further treatment for injuries he suffered during the Dec. 14 attack.
Police said gunmen Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed Akram, killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old, during a Hanukkah celebration.
Footage from the scene showed al Ahmed running toward Sajid Akram and tackling him from behind, wresting a rifle away before pointing the weapon back at him.
Al Ahmed said he chose not to fire because "I don't think I'm the one who can take [the] life of people."
After being disarmed by al Ahmed, Sajid Akram, 50, fled the scene. Police later shot him dead after he returned to a nearby bridge where his son was firing.
Naveed Akram, 24, was also shot by police but survived and is now facing dozens of charges in what authorities said was an Islamic State group-inspired attack.
Asked in New York whether he would like to meet Trump, al Ahmed replied, "I wish. He's a hero of the world, of course."
"I love him. He's a strong man," he said.
Trump praised al Ahmed's bravery last month during a White House Christmas reception on Dec. 14, the same day as the attack.
"In Australia, you probably read, a very, very brave person who went and attacked ... one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives," Trump said, calling al Ahmed a "very brave person who's right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded" and saying he has "great respect" for him.
Al Ahmed was honored Wednesday night at a New York City Chabad gala, where he downplayed his actions and said he was simply fulfilling his "duty as a human being."
"I do my duty. I'm helping and saving. ... It felt like my duty as a human being," he told the New York Post. "Helping, keeping people safe."
Al Ahmed received a standing ovation as he was brought to the stage by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman of Chabad-Lubavitch of Bondi, the father-in-law of Bondi Beach victim Rabbi Eli Schlanger.
According to the Post, al Ahmed traveled to New York from Los Angeles to spend time with Jewish leaders and visited the Ohel Chabad-Lubavitch in Queens, the gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Attendees at the gala — some of whom lost loved ones in the massacre — expressed deep gratitude toward al Ahmed, who wore a coat over a suit and tie and kept his left arm in a sling.
"I came from San Diego to this event. I needed to support my community," Talia Kastiel-Katz told the Post. "I'm very close to Rabbi Ulman. I lost two friends that day."
"When I met him, I gave him a big hug," she said of al Ahmed. "He's a big hero for me.
"I said, 'Thank you. You saved many people.' I'm pretty sure God will give him good love."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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