Social media reacted in anger and disbelief after a 14-year-old Muslim boy was arrested in North Texas when a high school teacher decided that a homemade clock he brought to class could be a bomb.
Ahmed Mohamed, who enjoys tinkering with electronics, proudly took the clock to MacArthur High in Irving on Monday.
But one teacher raised concerns that it looked like a bomb, prompting the school principal and several police officers to question him, search his belongings and march him from the school in handcuffs.
Police do not believe the device is dangerous, but say it could be mistaken for a fake explosive.
Ahmed was suspended from school for three days, but he has not been charged.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is investigating, saying the incident is typical of the negative attitudes toward Muslims in Irving.
Reading about this poor kid is making me so upset. Islamophobia and racism is harming our youth #IStandWithAhmed #IAmAhmed
— petty shabazz (@enhawk) September 16, 2015
Instead of being encouraged to excel in science, he was arrested because of who he is #IStandWithAhmed #IAmAhmed pic.twitter.com/8ZhAEJQHCC
— SU NAACP (@CuseNAACP) September 16, 2015
A childs expression of brilliance should not awaken a teachers suspicion of criminality #IAmAhmed #IStandWithAhmed
— Christopher Emdin (@chrisemdin) September 16, 2015
You can drop the charges, but you cant drop the awful memories this boy will have being arrested in front of his school #IStandWithAhmed
— PastaBoy (@RyanAbe) September 16, 2015
#AhmedMohamed family offers pizza to crowd of waiting media at his home #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/a268yBvLUz
— Indian Stats (@Indian_stats) September 16, 2015
A 14 year old shouldn't have to defend his religion, much less be the victim of discrimination, I'm sickened #IStandWithAhmed #IAmAhmed
— Liam Burke (@liamburkeidk) September 16, 2015
If a Teacher does not know a difference between a clock and a bomb she is no longer fit enough to be a teacher. #IStandWithAhmed
— عُمر (@OmarImranTweets) September 16, 2015
Nothing should stand in the way of a child getting an education. Not prejudice. Not violence. Not crisis. Stand #withMalala #IStandwithAhmed
— Malala Fund (@MalalaFund) September 16, 2015
If thats so, then I guess the British have developed some sort of giant bomb attached to a rocket. #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/GHiCSAlPFc
— عُمر (@OmarImranTweets) September 16, 2015
#IStandWithAhmed. I'm currently in Madinah just hearing about this happening literally in my neighborhood in... http://t.co/5n6N9FAfTO
— Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) September 16, 2015
This is @CNN. What an epic fail. How about: "teen scientist wrongfully arrested by racist idiots." #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/MCd6VVsgky
— Mikko Alanne (@MikkoAlanne) September 16, 2015
"My hobby is to invent stuff." It's sad how hatred can derail a kid's dreams. #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/Qr5K5lwIAE
— Protein Shaykh (@ProteinShaykh) September 16, 2015
President Praises Muslim Teen and His Clock; Invites Him to White House - ABC News - http://t.co/lgyLhOgLvn via @ABC #IAmAhmed
— faisalalam (@faisalalam) September 16, 2015
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