Ahmed Al Ahmed, who heroically disarmed one of the shooters who massacred 15 people at a Hanukkah party at Sydney, Australia's Bondi Beach one month ago, was honored last week at the Colel Chabad International Awards Gala in New York City.
During the gala, Al Ahmed met the leaders of the Israel Justice Organization and told them that he saved "hundreds and hundreds of lives of innocent people that day." He added that his goal was "to take the gun from the terrorists and stop them from killing innocent people."
Addressing criticism that he did not use the gun he wrestled away from the terrorist to shoot the attacker, he said: "I didn't shoot him because I was trying only to take the gun and disarm him and to save the innocent people from the killers." He added that he did not want to shed another person's blood because, in his words, "as a human being, I'm not allowed to take [another's life]."
Al Ahmed was filmed confronting terrorist Sajid Akram and grabbing his weapon away from him during the December 14 attack. Moments later, he was shot and wounded by a second terrorist. He was hospitalized at St. George Hospital after undergoing surgery for his wounds.
During his visit to New York, Al Ahmed visited the tomb of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson, in Queens, where he prayed alongside rabbis. Colel Chabad told attendees of last week's Gala that they would hear “what courage and moral clarity look like in real time" from him.