Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas teen thrust in the national spotlight after he was arrested and suspended for bringing a homemade clock to school, has friends in high places.
President Obama tweeted his support Wednesday afternoon, asking if Ahmed wants to visit the White House with his clock.
“Cool clock, Ahmed,” tweeted Obama. “Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great”
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.
— President Obama (@POTUS) September 16, 2015
He’s also found support from Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton:
Assumptions and fear don't keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building. https://t.co/ywrlHUw3g1
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 16, 2015
Ahmed brought what he says was an engineering project to his Irving, Texas school on Monday. According to the Dallas Morning News, Ahmed’s English teacher heard the device going off in class and took it away from him. By sixth period, Ahmed was in the process of being arrested.
He claims he was interrogated by multiple police officers, threatened, and accused a trying to build a bomb.
Ahmed's sister told me to post this. Yes this situation is real for those questioning. pic.twitter.com/Oxd0JxUS6O
— Prajwol/Ru (@OfficalPrajwol) September 16, 2015
By Wednesday morning, Irving Police have conceded it’s not a dangerous device, but officers had determined it was a “hoax bomb” despite Ahmed’s protestations of it simply being a clock.
From the Dallas News:
At a press conference this morning, Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing “a hoax bomb” to school — and not a clock, as Mohamed said he repeatedly told his teachers.
But, Boyd said, “we are confident it’s not an explosive device” intended to cause “alarm.” Rather, he said, officers determined it was “a hoax bomb” and a “naive accident.”
As a result, he said, no charges will be filed against Ahmed, and “the case is considered closed.” He also said “the reaction would have been the same regardless” of the student’s skin color.
His family and many on Twitter feel otherwise.
The hashtag #IStandWithAhmed has been trending all day.
WebProNews is an iEntry Publication