The Pakistani citizen – who fled religious persecution to settle in Australia – was working his first day shift as a security guard at Westfield Shopping Centre
Luca Ittimani Mon 15 Apr 2024
Security guard Faraz Tahir has been remembered as a tireless charity volunteer after his death in a mass stabbing at Bondi Junction on Saturday prompted a review of protection for shopping centre security.
“He had a great heart. He was really grateful to be part of this community, to make Australia home,” Adnan Qadir, Tahir’s friend, said.
Tahir’s death while working his first daytime shift at Westfield Bondi Junction has prompted a review of New South Wales’ tight restrictions on equipment available for security guards.
“We’re reviewing the restrictions in place, except in relation to firearms,” NSW premier, Chris Minns, said on Monday.
Tahir, a 30-year-old Pakistani citizen had fled religious persecution in his home country and sought refuge in Australia, first arriving in Brisbane in December 2022 before moving to Sydney last year.
“[Tahir] was really excited that Australia had afforded him religious freedom, and his way of giving back was through a lot of volunteer work,” Qadir said.
Qadir, the president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia’s youth organisation, said Tahir took every opportunity to volunteer for charities, including taking part in Clean Up Australia Day in March.
He last saw Tahir on Thursday at the Sydney Ahmadiyya community’s Eid celebration, only two days before he was stabbed by 40-year-old Joel Cauchi.
“He was helping people with parking their cars, helping elderly people to make their ways,” he said.
“No matter how hard things were, he was always there to take time out and give back to community.”
A national blood donation drive has been launched by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia and the Red Cross “in honour of his sacrifice”, a spokesperson said.
The high commission of Pakistan in Australia on Monday paid tribute to Tahir’s “immense bravery”.
“Mr Tahir was a beloved member of the Pakistani community,” deputy high commissioner, Ayesha Saeed, said. “He was a dedicated individual who lost his life while trying to save others.”
Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community held a vigil outside Westfield Bondi Junction on Sunday evening to pray and commemorate the innocent lives lost during Cauchi’s rampage. Ashlee Good, Dawn Singleton, Jade Young, Pikria Darchia and Yixuan Cheng have been identified as the other victims.
“When we were thinking about having a vigil, we realised that if it was Faraz … he would like it to be where all Australian communities are, to grieve and mourn for everyone’s loss,” Qadir said.
Tahir worked a series of jobs before getting his security licence, when he began working night shifts at numerous Sydney locations. He was working his first day shift at Bondi Junction shopping centre when he was fatally stabbed.
“He was really excited when he got his security licence … he knows that now he’s in a position to have stability and then looking forward to at some stage potentially [starting] his family,” Qadir said.
Tahir’s older brother, Sheraz Ahmed, who is based in Pakistan, told SBS News that the family had been seeking a bride for Tahir, who had been living in a share house in Parramatta.
While Tahir’s parents are deceased, his two older brothers will come to Sydney from Pakistan and the UK for his funeral.
The high commission for Pakistan in Australia said the Tahir family was yet to decide whether to repatriate his remains or bury him here.
The high commission of Pakistan identified Muhammad Taha , a fellow security guard, as the other Pakistani citizen injured on Saturday.
“He is now in a stable condition. We pray for his full and fast recovery,” deputy high commissioner Saeed said.
Police and Westfield joined tributes to Tahir’s efforts to protect the public.
“Someone doing their job has lost his life, seeking to protect the community.” NSW police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke said.
“He was a very well-regarded, important member of our team and someone who we all have a tremendous amount of respect for, given that he laid down his life innocently in protecting others,” Scentre Group CEO Elliott Rusanow told reporters on Monday.
Rusanow could not confirm how many security guards were working on Saturday, estimating there may have been more than 25.
Additional reporting by Tamsin Rose
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadis And Pakistan, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Australia, terror