Texas – A 14-year-old Muslim student will face no criminal charges for taking a homemade clock to class that his suburban Dallas high school teachers thought resembled a bomb, the police chief said Wednesday.
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Ahmed Mohamed will not be charged with possessing a hoax bomb because there’s no evidence that the boy meant to cause alarm at his school in Irving, police Chief Larry Boyd said at a news conference.
Boyd said the clock that Ahmed built looked “suspicious in nature,” but that he considers the case closed.
The teen explained to The Dallas Morning News that he makes his own radios, repairs his own go-kart and on Sunday spent about 20 minutes before bedtime assembling the clock using a circuit board, power supply wired to a digital display and other items.
On Monday, he wanted to show his work to his engineering teacher but was warned to keep the clock in his backpack. When it began beeping during another class, he brought it to that teacher’s attention. Shortly afterward, Ahmed was pulled from class and questioned and searched by the principal and Irving officers.
He was then escorted from the school in handcuffs for further questioning by the police.
“We live in an age where you can’t take things like that to school,” Boyd said.
The boy’s family says Ahmed was suspended for three days. It’s not clear if he’ll be allowed to return to school now that police have said he won’t be charged.
School district spokeswoman Lesley Weaver declined to confirm the suspension, citing privacy laws.
The incident drew broad attention, with President Barack Obama inviting Ahmed to the White House.
In a tweet posted Wednesday, Obama called Ahmed’s clock “cool” and said more kids should be inspired like him to enjoy science, because “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”, Obama Tweeted.
The hashtag #IStandWithAhmed was tweeted more than 450,000 times by early Wednesday afternoon.
Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, earlier told the Morning News that his son “just wants to invent good things for mankind. But because his name is Mohamed and because of Sept. 11, I think my son got mistreated.”
Weaver insisted school officials were concerned with student safety and not the boy’s faith, while Boyd said “the reaction (to the clock) would have been the same regardless” of his religion.
Boyd said police have an “outstanding relationship” with the Muslim community in Irving and that he would meet the boy’s father on Wednesday to address any concerns.
This spring, the city council endorsed one of several bills under discussion in the Texas Legislature that would forbid judges from rulings based on “foreign laws” — legislation opponents view as unnecessary and driven by anti-Muslim sentiment.
At a later council meeting, the turnout included some denouncing Islam. One woman declared “Sharia law is Islam, and Islam’s goal is to immigrate, assimilate and annihilate.” A man sitting in the audience shouted “That is offensive!” and was escorted out.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is reviewing the action against Ahmed.
“This all raises a red flag for us: how Irving’s government entities are operating in the current climate,” Alia Salem, executive director of the council’s North Texas chapter, told the Morning News.
No we should not be suspicious of stabs carrying devices. We should automatically assume they are innocent. Wouldn’t be surprised if Obama admonishes him saying that he should’ve been carrying a bomb. Nu, jihad. Cmon. We got to do jihad.
If Obama had a son, he’d look just like Ahmed or was it Trayvon?
Even with all the phobia involved, why was he taken in police station in handcuffs?
so he invites them but not the 3 guys who took down an actual terrorist in France, and yet Nadler tells us that Obama is not Muslim.
ALL THE EVIDENCE IS CLEARLY LAID OUT MUSLIMS YES JEWS AND CHRISTIANS NO!!! WAKE UP ALL YOU FOOLS!!!!
This may be the first time I agree with one of Obama’s invitations. This kid was treated like an animal. A kid who is smart, interested in science and how things work. This kid learned first hand what ugly hatred looks like and the principal of that school should be fired immediately after sending that stupid letter home to parents and refusing to take responsibility for his actions. The idea that this racist scum is tasked with forming young minds is obscene. A visit to the WH may be overkill, but it shows this kid that as a nation we abhor the behavior of his principal and won’t stand for that kind of bigotry.
So the next time I see someone with something suspicious what you’re saying is better don’t get involved
He’s now showing off. He wants to show all the world’s Muslims how wonderful he is.
He is thumbing his nose at all the Christians and whites. He can’t be jailed or impeached. So, he is showing how he doesn’t care even if we know he hates us all. He is a hater.
The school really botched this one. But “It’s Chinatown, Jake.” Only it’s Texas, you get the idea.
I really think its time (no pun intended) to put this behind us!
Let’s have someone bring this “clock” to the White House or the airport and watch what happens … Stupid people!!
#17 makes several good, thought-provoking points. Thank you.
No problem, Mr. President!
I should tell my children to build many devices that look like a bomb (they sell them in Radioshack, 10-50$ a piece), and they should bring them to their school and cause a bomb threat!
Free invitation to the White House!
Or do we have to become Muslims first?
No problem, Mr. President!
I should tell my children to build many devices that look like a bomb (they sell them in Radioshack, 10-50$ a piece), and they should bring them to their school and cause a bomb threat!
Free invitation to the White House!
Or do we have to become Muslims first?