Story Highlights
Ahmed Mohamed went to his high school with the goal of showing his teacher a digital clock he'd made from a pencil case
But an English teacher reported Ahmed's project, which prompted school officials to call police

Washington (CNN)The same day Texas police announced that a teenager arrested in Texas after bringing a clock he made to high school would not charged, President Barack Obama invited the student to the White House.

"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," the POTUS Twitter account tweeted.

Ahmed Mohamed, who plans to become an engineer, went to his high school in Irving, Texas, on Monday with the goal of showing his teacher a digital clock he'd made from a pencil case.

But the 14-year-old's day did not end with high praise. Instead, an English teacher reported Ahmed's project, which prompted school officials to call police. A photo shows Ahmed being led out of school in handcuffs and a NASA T-shirt.

Muslim teen Ahmed Mohamed creates clock, shows teachers, gets arrested

"They arrested me and they told me that I committed the crime of a hoax bomb, a fake bomb," the freshman later explained.

Mohamed repeatedly told police that what they believed to be a hoax bomb was actually a clock. He said they would not allow him to contact his father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, who ran for president of Sudan earlier this year.

"My son is a very brilliant boy," the father told CNN. "We need people like him in this country."

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan agreed.

"We need to be encouraging young engineers, not putting them in handcuffs. #IStandWithAhmed," Duncan tweeted.


The White House invited Ahmed to Astronomy Night in October, an annual event that brings together astronauts, scientists and other professionals.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday that the incident "is a good illustration of how pernicious stereotypes can prevent even goodhearted people who have dedicated their lives to educating young people from doing the good work they set out to do.

"The president, like many of us, was struck by the news reports of this particular incident. The fact is, America's best teachers and our schools and our best schools, at least, nurture the intellectual curiously of all of our students. And this instance, it's clear that at least some of Ahmed's teachers failed him," Earnest said.

Police announced Wednesday that the teen will not be charged, but Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed said he is not sure if his son will return to school Thursday. School officials said they were cooperating with authorities on the matter.

"We always ask our students and staff to immediately report if they observe any suspicious items and/or suspicious behavior," the school's statement reads. "If something is out of the ordinary, the information should be reported immediately to a school administrator and/or the police so it can be addressed right away. We will always take necessary precautions to protect our students and keep our school community as safe as possible."

In the meantime, Ahmed was racking up invitations from top tech companies. Google invited him on Twitter to this weekend's Google Science Fair.

And Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg invited the teen to stop by his company in a statement posted on his page.

"Having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest. The future belongs to people like Ahmed.

"Ahmed, if you ever want to come by Facebook, I'd love to meet you. Keep building," Zuckerberg wrote.


http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/16/politics/barack-obama-ahmed-texas/index.html

Lalasticlala ishilove have you seen this cool dude's clock??

AHMED MOHAMED made a clock and he's a terrorist
DYLANN ROOF killed nine people but its ok he's mentally ill

To those spewing thrash, we talking about a high school here, so their science teacher doesn't know the difference between a clock and a bomb. SHAME ON YOU ALL

Moreover before the police got involved the Principal and Others must have checked the clock out including the science teacher but they decided to call on police cuz He's a MUSLIM and a BLACK.

Pain to gain

It's easy to see why the school's initial reaction was that of fear. If it had been a non Muslim Caucasian, he would have received a standing ovation instead.
Religion now instills fear instead of love. Humankind has lost it.
Such a pity.

from handcuff to handshakes

oluwa soro MI dayo

Mehn...We the nairalanders want to invite you too to Nairaland Oval office in Otta... Thumbs up Ahmad!

Stereotyping in America will soon destroy that country and make it permanently unsafe to train kids.

From Zero to Hero#KeepBuilding to mk Sudan Grt not America

Has the clock 'ticked' away that we can't even see it??

Smart Kid.

efilefun:
AHMED MOHAMED made a clock and he's a terrorist
DYLANN ROOF killed nine people but its ok he's mentally ill

Dat dere white supremacy in action

some situations are quite clear to d point dat bn biased will look so strange and racial filled!

Wow!!!!

CHAI! THIS BOY DON HAMMER!!!

Thank God this has been turned to a hype quickly, hence the lad will join ISIS.

I no know Wetin dey do US sef, treating every Muslim like a terrorist

Ahmed offence was been a Muslim so bad

well now every ones to see him from Facebook CEO to Obama

what a shame just when you thought it couldn't get worse. And people say islamophobia is not real,however this is a living proof.
A brilliant gifted young man, sorry that he had to experience this ridiculous level of prejudice

Good. The incident was clearly due to racial profiling. If it were a north American boy that made d clock, no one would ever think of it being a bomb.

Consequences of the sins of his kin,



Sometimes we can't blame the cops,



Ahmed Muttalab with a rich family and good education,


Still attempted to blow up an airplane

whirlwind7:
It's easy to see why the school's initial reaction was that of fear. If it had been a non Muslim Caucasian, he would have received a standing ovation instead.
Religion now instills fear instead of love. Humankind has lost it.
Such a pity.

And would you blame the school authorities for taking precautions?? for goodness sakes they were only being responsible to themselves and their students given the times we are in.

Americans are nurtured to be proactive and kudos to them for that, atleast it made the youngman meet Obama.

Shame on evil muslims for creating a stereotype of themselves.

I don't blame the school! Muslims are Unstable set of people!

#creativity

Racists' mentality works like this: He's a Muslim, therefore a terrorist; he's non Caucasian, therefore dumb and brain dead!

Don't blame the teacher or US....
A muslim is a potential terrorist
Prevention is better than cure...
All terrorists are muslims.. Blood suckers... Quote me anywhere

It would be hard seeing the kid of a US presidential aspirant schooling elsewhere.

A nice turn of event.

I'm a muslim but i wouldn't exactly blame the school. Its better for them to be careful.
The blame should be placed on the doorstep of extremist Islamic organizations giving Islam a bad image.
If we are to be sincere with ourselves, knowing his Sudan connection and seeing a digital device ticking, one couldn't help but wonder if its a timer for an explosive.
Even Obama, zuckerberg and all those inviting him would have been skeptical too at first.
That's how a action of few misguided people
affect well meaning people.

efilefun:
AHMED MOHAMED made a clock and he's a terrorist
DYLANN ROOF killed nine people but its ok he's mentally ill

WTF are u saying
Ahmed mohamed is a terrorist name...
So dnt blame anyone

A terrorist fights for allahs cause
Backing up his deeds with scriptures frm quran
Dylann roof never told u he was sent by allah or anybody.. Dude is just a psyco.. Get it

You deluded, why not tell me chukwuemeka uche is a Drug peddler's name.

bugzbunny:

WTF are u saying
Ahmed mohamed is a terrorist name...
So dnt blame anyone

A terrorist fights for allahs cause
Backing up his deeds with scriptures frm quran
Dylann roof never told u he was sent by allah or anybody.. Dude is just a psyco.. Get it

14year old in America doing wonder,while some 34year old in naija do not even have bearing yet.

One day it will get to a point where muslim are nit allowed in some countries......

The evil perpetrated by some mentally deranged few is richocheting on the others....

mzteemarh:
what a shame just when you thought it couldn't get worse. And people say islamophobia is not real,however this is a living proof.
A brilliant gifted young man, sorry that he had to experience this ridiculous level of prejudice

In as much as I believe that sterotype is real and dangerous I find it difficult to believe that Islamophobia is even a thing. I see it as a word people who cant argue their case convincingly throw around to shut down their opponent. If I may ask do you also believe that homophobia is real? Likewise do you think the world should carve out a similar term for non-muslim whom have been facing more severe form of discrimination in Muslim dominated countries?

Hmm, can't blame the School Management though it wasn't the best approach been that the boy was still a teen