International
'Lucky to have him': Australia mourns refugee guard killed in Bondi attack
SYDNEY — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed as a hero Pakistani security guard Faraz Tahir, killed in Sydney while trying to stop a mass stabbing attack, in remarks delivered on Friday (April 26) at a funeral attended by hundreds. Tah
Tahir, who would have turned 31 on Wednesday, was on the first day of his job when he became one of six killed this month during the stabbing spree at a busy mall in beachside Bondi.
"Running toward danger, to protect people he had never even met, without doubt, he helped save lives that day," Albanese said. "Without question, Faraz Tahir died a hero."
The ceremony was held before a crowd gathered outside the city's Baitul Huda mosque, under a banner that read "Love for all — hatred for none".
Tahir arrived in Australia as a refugee from Pakistan, according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim community of Australia, to which he belonged.
Fellow security guard Muhammad Taha, injured while trying to stop the attacker, attended in a wheelchair after being released from hospital for the ceremony.
He was the last to speak with Tahir as they ran towards the scene of the attack.
