If there’s one silver lining to the rage-inducing story of the teenager in Texas arrested for building a clock, it’s the mass show of support from scientists, technologists, celebrities, and hundreds of thousands of people online.
Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed is a kid who loves to tinker, and was excited to show teachers at his Irving, Texas High school his latest invention: a clock with “a digital display, built into a metal case with a circuit board.” For this offense he was handcuffed and arrested, while bullying cops persisted in pointing out that the contraption “looks like a movie bomb to me.”
White kid makes a nuclear reactor? He's a genius. Brown Muslim kid makes a clock? A terrorist #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/fEwcq7tUsr
— Dr Farhan K Virk (@FarhanKVirk) September 16, 2015
The mad leap to criminalize Ahmed’s clock has drawn attention to the U.S.’ knee-jerk Islamophobia and led to thousands of Twitter users sharing stories of their own actually dangerous science experiments that they were not criminalized for carrying out. Users have also contrasted images of kids with guns against the picture of Ahmed, scared and handcuffed in his NASA t-shirt.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/644175309286318080
At least the injustice of Ahmed’s case is not going unnoticed, and he is receiving support from those who appreciate scientific curiosity and human decency. NASA scientists have invited him to visit their labs and told him to get in touch in the future.
NASA’s Mars Rover Lead Flight Director Mike Seibert:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/644152049525899265
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory visualization producer Doug Ellison:
Infact, I think the whole of JPL would welcome Ahmed with open arms. #IStandWithAhmed https://t.co/9FU3ZlHkCi
— Doug Ellison (@doug_ellison) September 16, 2015
NASA’s famed “Mohawk guy” Bobak Ferdowsi:
Hey Ahmed, give me a call in a couple years. We could always use smart, curious & creative people. https://t.co/02a4feMrk5
— Bobak Ferdowsi (@tweetsoutloud) September 16, 2015
Ahmed is likely going to be receiving a lot of exciting opportunities in the wake of this nonsensical situation:
#IStandWithAhmed And we'd love to offer him an internship here next Summer! Build w us!
— DoSomething (@dosomething) September 16, 2015
Makerbase cofounder Anil Dash has been in touch with Ahmed and his family and is helping to raise awareness:
Good morning, all. Great to see an outpouring of support. You can tell Ahmed & family how you'd like to help, here: http://t.co/IHOTsPSCEN
— anildash.com (@anildash) September 16, 2015
Big names got in on the encouragement:
#IStandWithAhmed — stay strong little brother. you are a genius and we all support your incredible passion for innovation + technology.
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) September 16, 2015
Meanwhile, people are posing with clocks to show support for Ahmed:
In solidarity with @IStandWithAhmed CAIR-Chicago staff brought our clocks to work too. #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/NK9CWhyfru
— CAIR-Chicago (@cairchicago) September 16, 2015
While others are pointing our the huge gulfs in America’s persecution logic:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/644158440932249600
What was done to Ahmed has real repercussions:
"I felt less than human." "I felt like a criminal." Yup, that's what a 14 year old innovator was made to feel. 💔 #IStandWithAhmed
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) September 16, 2015
Not to mention:
If this looks like a bomb to you, then please … don't touch technology. You are a stupid person. #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/Ur4pSQhovd
— Nash, Now With Flavor Crystals (@Nash076) September 16, 2015
This boggles the mind:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/644134997859786752
I hope going forward that Ahmed will have teachers like this:
https://twitter.com/embed/status/644126445346930688
In response to the media firestorm and Twitter surge (#IStandWithAhmed is currently the number one trend worldwide), Ahmed has created a Twitter account of his own:
Thank you for your support! I really didn't think people would care about a muslim boy. #Thankyouforstandingwithme #IStandWithAhmed
— Ahmed Mohamed (@IStandWithAhmed) September 16, 2015
We predict a bright future for Ahmed Mohamed—and we hope the attention this case is receiving means a soul-searching about what it means to be young and inventive in America, which was treated as a dangerous inclination. The image of Ahmed handcuffed in his NASA shirt should be a wakeup call to all of us.
UPDATE: The President of the United States has weighed in:
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 (@POTUS44) September 16, 2015
