A security guard injured in the Westfield Bondi Junction attack that killed his colleague cannot sleep and has “many” nightmares about the ordeal almost two weeks later.
Security guard Muhammad Taha was among a dozen injured when Joel Cauchi stabbed him in the stomach while attacking innocent bystanders in a frenzied attack on April 13.
Five women and security guard Faraz Tahir were stabbed to death in the attack that shocked Australia. Mr. Tahir was murdered on his first day on the job.
On Friday, Taha briefly left hospital to attend Tahir’s funeral at Marsden Park in western Sydney.
Unable to walk and still wearing a hospital gown and bracelet, Mr Taha bravely revealed that he suffers many nightmares and has trouble sleeping.
Westfield security guard Muhammad Taha left his hospital bed Friday to attend the funeral of his colleague Faraz Tahir.
Westfield security guard Faraz Tahir was killed on his first day on the job.
“What happened there, I can’t forget,” he told reporters.
“It’s unimaginable and yet, when I think about it, it’s very painful.”
‘The trauma is horrible.
“Even when I try to sleep, I have all the things in my head and it’s very painful.”
Taha also met and spoke to his colleague’s bereaved family who traveled from Pakistan to attend his funeral.
He and Tahir had been sharing stories about their families in their homeland, Pakistan, moments before the chaos.
“I just talked to his family about what he was doing with me and what his last words were and what he was like, sharing his experience and his work because it was his first day,” Mr Taha said.
“They wanted to know what his last words were because he was with me.”
The couple was walking through Westfield when they heard people shouting and pointing in the direction of the attacker.
Security guard Muhammad Taha still has nightmares about the ordeal.
Taha recalled the moment they confronted Cauchi and then tried to help their injured colleague, even though he was also stabbed.
“We didn’t know that if there were one or more people, we would try to save them, evacuating them and telling them to go to a safe place,” Taha recalled.
“We ran towards that area of the shopping center and he (Cauchi) was about two or three steps away from me at that moment and the crowd
‘The attacker simply jumped towards him and suddenly stabbed him (Mr Tahir).
‘Suddenly he jumped towards me.
“I tried to stop him from confronting him at the same time, but somehow he tried to stab me too.”
Taha was so focused on helping his colleague that at first he didn’t realize he had also been stabbed.
“I tried to please him, I grabbed him and pushed him towards the chairs and sofas in the cafe and managed to lay him down,” he recalled.
He didn’t know Tahir had died until four days later.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns were expected to join mourners at Tahir’s funeral.
Security guard Muhammad Taha (right) spoke with his colleague’s older brother, Muzafar Ahmad Tahir (seated left).
