The bystander who tackled one of the gunmen in the attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney was seriously injured, according to Australian officials, who on Monday identified him as Ahmed el Ahmed. He is recovering in a hospital.

‘He really is a superhero’

Lubaba Alhmidi AlKahil, the media director for the Australians for Syria Association, visited Ahmed on Monday afternoon to deliver a tray of food and a bouquet of flowers. She said he had undergone successful surgery and was recovering, but was still in pain.

“What he did, he really is a superhero,” she said. AlKahil hadn’t met Ahmed prior to the tragedy but said the community was “very proud” of him.

“You might not believe it, but while we were watching the news, a lot of us had the feeling that he looks Syrian, he looks really Syrian,” she said. “Then we found, he is Syrian.”

She said Ahmed came from a “lovely family” that was surrounding him with care and prayers.

“This is not strange for a Syrian individual, the community is lovely, supportive, with strong bonds. We’ve refused injustice and persecution [in Syria] and it’s not strange that one of us had the feeling: ‘No, I will not watch, I will die to help.’”

For AlKahil, the profound tragedy also brought a sense of fear.

“As Muslims, every time there’s an attack we say to ourselves, oh no, people will say it’s Muslims that are bad,” she said. “We are scared to leave our houses if we’ll be accused.

“But our religion is a religion of peace and we are very peaceful people. This proves that.”