Muhammad Rafiq (retired army)

Mohammad Rafiq is a retired Pakistani Air Force officer who stopped the attacker of the Bærum mosque shooting.
Bærum mosque shooting
During the attack at the Al-Noor Islamic Center in Bærum, Rafiq responded to the gunman shooting at the two other men in the building. The gunman was armed with two "shotgun-like" weapons and a pistol before Rafiq pinned him down and moved the weapons away. He held the gunman in a chokehold until police arrived, sustaining injuries when the gunman tried to free himself by gouging one of Rafiq's eyes. One of the other men hit the gunman in the head to stop him from trying to break free.
As the shooting spread in media, so did Rafiq's actions, which a Danish newspaper described as "courageous"; several media outlets, primarily in Norway but also some foreign ones, described him as a "hero" and "helt".
Rafiq attended the solidarity Eid al-Adha celebration in Sandvika held the day following the attack, along with figures including Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
Personal life
Rafiq migrated to Norway in 2017 after he retired from the Pakistani Air Force. He is a frequent visitor to Al-Noor Islamic Center in Bærum and is called 'grandpa' by the worshipers there.

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