Egyptian Bricklayer and Son Praised for Helping Stop Knife-Wielding Attacker in Italy
Osama Shalaby, 56, and his 20-year-old son, Mohamed, were among those who took down the attacker in Modena.
An Egyptian bricklayer and his son have been praised in Italy after helping to stop a knife-wielding attacker who rammed his car into pedestrians at the weekend.
Osama Shalaby, 56, and his 20-year-old son, Mohamed, were among a small group of passers-by who took down the attacker as he attempted to stab people in Modena on Saturday.
Their heroism has been viewed as particularly significant given attempts by some Italian politicians to use the incident to bolster their arguments for stricter immigration controls.
The attacker, Salim El-Koudri, an Italian citizen of Moroccan descent, has been charged with massacre and aggravated injury.
Italian authorities have ruled out terrorism and pointed to El-Koudri’s mental health problems.
The 31-year-old sped through a street in the city center, hitting several pedestrians, before crashing into a shop window.
Eight people were wounded, four of them seriously, including a woman who had to have both legs amputated.
El-Koudri fled the car, waving a knife, and wounded one of the men trying to stop him.
Videos and images on social media showed Osama and Mohamed among the men pinning the attacker to the ground.
Police work at the scene after the attacker struck pedestrians in Modena, northern Italy.
(AFP) “We weren’t afraid, we are Egyptians, we only fear God,” Osama, who has lived in Italy for 30 years, told Italian news agency ANSA.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Osama said that he sent his son after the attacker.
“I told him: “Grab him, grab him”.
He went, he blocked him and took the knife away from him”.
Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti invited the father and son to an event in the city on Sunday to mark the tragedy and thank those who intervened.
The two were also praised by Egypt’s ambassador in Rome, Bassam Radi, who invited them to visit the embassy, Egyptian media reported.
President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, along with Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, talk to one of the people who intervened to arrest the driver responsible for the attack in Modena.
(Via AFP) Shalaby, who lives in Milan, played down his actions and the political reaction to the attack, saying that there are “good people and bad people,” but said he hoped that his life in Italy would become more stable.
“I’ve lived in Italy for 30 years, but I’m not an Italian citizen,” he told ANSA.
“I hope my gesture helps”.
He said that his dream was to find housing where his family could live together.
Despite both Italians and immigrants being among the group that tackled El-Koudri, some Italian politicians have responded to the incident with strong anti-immigration rhetoric.
Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, referred to the suspect as a “second-generation criminal” and renewed calls for stricter migration measures.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told Italian newspaper il Giornale that while there was no evidence that it was a planned terrorist attack, the case highlighted the challenges around integration and social distress, and this could not be dismissed as an isolated incident.
Opposition politicians criticized the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for seeking to use the case to toughen immigration rules.
Mayor Mezzetti, however, highlighted Osama and Mohamed’s involvement as he addressed a crowd in the city’s main square on Sunday, AFP reported.
“You fight fears by remaining united,” he said.
Osama Shalaby, 56, and his 20-year-old son, Mohamed, were among a small group of passers-by who took down the attacker as he attempted to stab people in Modena on Saturday.
Their heroism has been viewed as particularly significant given attempts by some Italian politicians to use the incident to bolster their arguments for stricter immigration controls.
The attacker, Salim El-Koudri, an Italian citizen of Moroccan descent, has been charged with massacre and aggravated injury.
Italian authorities have ruled out terrorism and pointed to El-Koudri’s mental health problems.
The 31-year-old sped through a street in the city center, hitting several pedestrians, before crashing into a shop window.
Eight people were wounded, four of them seriously, including a woman who had to have both legs amputated.
El-Koudri fled the car, waving a knife, and wounded one of the men trying to stop him.
Videos and images on social media showed Osama and Mohamed among the men pinning the attacker to the ground.
Police work at the scene after the attacker struck pedestrians in Modena, northern Italy.
(AFP) “We weren’t afraid, we are Egyptians, we only fear God,” Osama, who has lived in Italy for 30 years, told Italian news agency ANSA.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Osama said that he sent his son after the attacker.
“I told him: “Grab him, grab him”.
He went, he blocked him and took the knife away from him”.
Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti invited the father and son to an event in the city on Sunday to mark the tragedy and thank those who intervened.
The two were also praised by Egypt’s ambassador in Rome, Bassam Radi, who invited them to visit the embassy, Egyptian media reported.
President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, along with Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, talk to one of the people who intervened to arrest the driver responsible for the attack in Modena.
(Via AFP) Shalaby, who lives in Milan, played down his actions and the political reaction to the attack, saying that there are “good people and bad people,” but said he hoped that his life in Italy would become more stable.
“I’ve lived in Italy for 30 years, but I’m not an Italian citizen,” he told ANSA.
“I hope my gesture helps”.
He said that his dream was to find housing where his family could live together.
Despite both Italians and immigrants being among the group that tackled El-Koudri, some Italian politicians have responded to the incident with strong anti-immigration rhetoric.
Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, referred to the suspect as a “second-generation criminal” and renewed calls for stricter migration measures.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told Italian newspaper il Giornale that while there was no evidence that it was a planned terrorist attack, the case highlighted the challenges around integration and social distress, and this could not be dismissed as an isolated incident.
Opposition politicians criticized the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for seeking to use the case to toughen immigration rules.
Mayor Mezzetti, however, highlighted Osama and Mohamed’s involvement as he addressed a crowd in the city’s main square on Sunday, AFP reported.
“You fight fears by remaining united,” he said.
