The Internet has been reeling since news leaked that 14-year-old Muslim inventor, Ahmed Mohamed, was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school.
Ahmed Mohamed probably awoke the morning of Sept. 9 with excitement. He probably woke up with a thrill of pride. A tech savant, he had successfully built his own functioning clock out of spare parts that past weekend. His plan was simple: bring his invention to MacArthur high school, show his teacher, and get a little bit of deserved glory. Unfortunately, what transpired next was indicative of something rotten going on in Irving, Texas.
Ahmed reportedly showed one of his engineering teachers his invention early in the morning. Despite being impressed, his teacher tellingly advised Ahmed to keep his invention hidden away. During class later that day, the digital alarm clock accidentally sounded, symbolically announcing the trouble ahead. His English teacher demanded he remove the device from his backpack, and accused him of bringing something that looked suspiciously like a bomb to school. She kept the clock and involved the principal. The principal called the police. That afternoon, Ahmed was lead out of the school in handcuffs.
While Ahmed is not the first child to fall prey to over-reactions and extreme measures at the hands of schools—a seven-year-old boy was suspended for making a “pop-tart gun” in 2013—the consequences in his situation seem particularly extreme. His father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed said in a statement made to Dallas Morning News: “But because his name is Mohamed and because of Sept. 11, I think my son got mistreated.”
His father is not the only one who thinks that there is a correlation. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has been involved in talks with the school, and the hashtags #IStandWithAhmed,, and #EngineersForAhmed have exploded on the Internet.
Much of the outcry has been in favour of disciplinary action being taken against the police and the staff of MacArthur high. Ahmed has also received overwhelming support from some of the biggest names in technology and politics today.
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg invited the young builder to come by the Facebook offices, writing, “The future belongs to people like Ahmed. Ahmed, if you ever want to come by Facebook, I’d love to meet you. Keep building.”
Others on Twitter were quick to notice Ahmed’s NASA shirt in photos of him being arrested and swiftly reached out.
Canada’s own Chris Hadfield tweeted at Ahmed’s family’s new twitter handle: “Hi @IStandWithAhmed! I’d love you to join us for our science show Generator in Toronto on 28 Oct. There’s a ticket waiting for you.”
Eager to keep young minds interested in STEM fields, Ahmed has also received invitations and gifts from Google, Twitter, Nasa, and Microsoft. Among the many others who reached out to Ahmed are Reddit’s cofounder Alexis Ohanion and American President Barack Obama, who personally invited Ahmed to the White House.
Mayor Beth Van Duyne—who has already come under fire for supporting anti-Islamic actions—is in full support of the school and the police department’s actions. Since the incident, the police have dropped all charges and MacArthur high has opened its doors to Ahmed once again. Furthermore, Ahmed and his family are pursuing legal action and Ahmed starts at a new high school next week.
Many take hope and solace in the wonderful outpouring of support in favour of young Ahmed Mohamed. It is truly wonderful to see a bright mind supported and nurtured by the biggest thinkers of today. However, Ahmed’s story ends with a warning: Do not let the feel-good ending of Ahmed’s story distract you from the larger issue at hand. A minor was detained and interrogated for hours and denied access to a lawyer or his parents. He was accused of something egregious and made to feel like a terrorist. This is a crime.
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