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Pro-Israel social media influencers have been caught spreading false information about the identity of the man who disarmed a shooter during a deadly attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, falsely claiming that the hero was Christian, despite confirmation that he is a Syrian Muslim named Ahmed Al-Ahmed.

The fabrication appears to have been designed to prevent a Muslim being credited with an act of extraordinary courage. Ahmed Al-Ahmed, who confronted and disarmed the attacker with his bare hands, was initially described in media reports as a fruit stall owner in the shopping centre. 

Among those peddling the lie was Laura Loomer, a far-right commentator and pro-Israel activist who posted: “The media keeps saying the man who disarmed the Muslim terrorist in Australia today is also a Muslim who owns a fruit stand. Credible reports suggest the man is actually a Lebanese or Coptic Christian. Don’t fall for the propaganda.”

Another pro-Israel social media figure, Eyal Yakoby, similarly posted: “BREAKING: The hero who disarmed one of the shooters in Australia is reportedly a Maronite Christian. A true hero.”

Both claims were false. Ahmed Al-Ahmed’s cousin, Mustafa Al-Ahmed, confirmed to Australian outlets that Ahmed is a practising Muslim from the city of Idlib, Syria. Community members and friends also corroborated his identity.

Social media users have pointed out that the refusal by pro-Israel influencers to accept that a Muslim man could be a selfless hero reflects the deeply ingrained Islamophobia that underpins much of pro-Israel discourse. Rather than recognising the bravery of a Muslim man who risked his life to save Jews, they attempted to rewrite his identity to align with their ideological agenda, which consistently vilifies Muslims.

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Some pointed out that the disinformation campaign highlights how Islamophobic rhetoric is quickly weaponised. Rather than celebrating a Muslim hero who put himself in harm’s way to protect others, influencers with large followings used their platforms to erase his identity and falsely assign it to a Christian.

Observers have also pointed to a pattern whereby Muslim acts of heroism are downplayed, denied or co-opted, while Muslim perpetrators are amplified to reinforce racist stereotypes. The incident in Bondi is now being cited as a textbook example of digital erasure in service of anti-Muslim narratives.

Ahmed Al-Ahmed has not yet spoken publicly but is reportedly recovering from injuries sustained during the attack. Community leaders have called for him to be honoured for his bravery.

While the mainstream media has now corrected the record, critics note that Loomer and Yakoby’s posts remain live and continue to be shared. 

READ: Trump praises Muslim man Ahmed Al-Ahmad for stopping attacker in Sydney

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.