Ahmed Mohamed clock incident facts for kids
Ahmed Mohamed was a 14-year-old student. In September 2015, he was arrested in Irving, Texas. This happened because a teacher and then the police thought his homemade clock looked like a hoax bomb. His arrest caused a big discussion and a lot of support.
US President Barack Obama invited him to The White House. President Obama and many others praised Ahmed for being so creative and inventive. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and Hillary Rodham Clinton also showed their support for him.
Ahmed's father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, ran for President of Sudan in 2010 and 2015. The elder Mohamed is also the leader of the Islamic Sufi Center in Texas.
Contents
What Happened to Ahmed?
Ahmed Mohamed loved to invent things. He built a digital clock using a pencil case. He wanted to show it to his engineering teacher at school.
The Misunderstanding
- On September 14, 2015, Ahmed brought his clock to school.
- An English teacher saw the clock. She thought it looked suspicious.
- The teacher reported it to the school principal.
- The principal called the police.
- Police officers came to the school. They questioned Ahmed.
- They believed the clock looked like a bomb.
- Ahmed was arrested at school. He was taken to a juvenile detention center.
- He was fingerprinted and had his mugshot taken.
- Later, the police said they would not charge him with anything. They released him to his parents.
Public Reaction and Support
News of Ahmed's arrest spread quickly. Many people around the world were upset. They felt Ahmed was treated unfairly. They believed he was punished for being curious and smart.
- People used the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed on social media. It became very popular.
- Many scientists, engineers, and famous people supported Ahmed.
- President Barack Obama invited Ahmed to the White House for an astronomy night. He praised Ahmed's "cool clock."
- Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, also supported Ahmed. He invited Ahmed to visit Facebook headquarters.
- Hillary Clinton, who was running for president, tweeted her support. She said, "Assumptions and fear don't keep us safe."
- NASA scientists and even Google offered Ahmed internships.
Moving Forward
After the incident, Ahmed and his family moved. They accepted an offer from the Qatar Foundation. This foundation gave Ahmed a scholarship to study in Doha, Qatar. He continued his education there.
Ahmed's story showed how important it is to encourage young inventors. It also highlighted how misunderstandings can happen. His experience sparked important conversations about fairness and creativity in schools.
Images for kids
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Photo taken by the Irving Police Department of the clock
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NASA astronaut John M. Grunsfeld with Ahmed Mohamed at the 2015 White House Astronomy Night.
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