Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old boy with a passion for engineering, made national news this week when he brought in a digital clock (that he made himself, out of a pencil case) to school and his teacher mistook it for a bomb. The police were called and the teen was taken away in handcuffs, before he even had a chance to explain himself.
After repeatedly telling police that his clock was, in fact, a clock, he was released and all charges were dropped. The police never apologized for arresting him, and he was apparently interrogated without an attorney present. But although this was probably a harrowing and humiliating experience for him, a lot of support and encouragement for Ahmed has come out of it. Here are some of the best responses to the #IStandWithAhmed trend on Twitter.
1.
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 (@POTUS) September 16, 2015
2.
Hi @IStandWithAhmed, we 💙 building things at @twitter too. Would you consider interning with us? We’d love it — DM us! #IStandWithAhmed
— Twitter (@twitter) September 16, 2015
3.
Hey @istandwithAhmed, if you ever want to get into the world of music, let me know. #theworldisyours #IStandWithAhmed
— NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) September 17, 2015
4.
What happened was uncalled for. But it was the Almighty’s Plan to fulfil his dream, showcasing his talent to the world! #IStandWithAhmed
— Mufti Ismail Menk (@muftimenk) September 17, 2015
5.
We at @popsci stand with all young scientists who want to learn and invent #IStandWithAhmed http://t.co/cJlgR7u1rP pic.twitter.com/Cu4M341sMk
— Popular Science (@PopSci) September 17, 2015
6.
Well-behaved minority boys go to jail as much as badly behaved white peers http://t.co/KIQSnHYLjV #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/KLcu8pIedZ
— SPLC (@splcenter) September 17, 2015
7.
How do I get in touch with Ahmed? We (@reddit) wanna intro him to some of our friends in science (+ internship?) http://t.co/Bwgnbz179O
— Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian) September 16, 2015
8.
#iStandWithAhmed ~ STOP Clock Blocking!! pic.twitter.com/kkOxsbBZnF
— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) September 17, 2015
9.
#IStandWithAhmed because we love to make things too. Never stop inventing the future. pic.twitter.com/n1ergHSTg8
— Foursquare (@foursquare) September 16, 2015
10.
Hoping that the #istandwithahmed movement translates into a substantive national conversation on race, punishment, and incarceration.
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) September 17, 2015
11.
“Don’t let people change who you are.” #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/e8h23Vpzcu
— ✨ (@feminizza) September 17, 2015
12.
Here’s what scares me. A science teacher who doesn’t recognize science. #IStandWithAhmed
— Dayna Steele (@daynasteele) September 17, 2015
13.
Best one I’ve seen so far. @IStandWithAhmed #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/PKnM43RQSh
— Xopher SJW ½tongue (@Halftongue) September 17, 2015
14.
LMAOO!! A must watch video #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/SqynGOXaTf
— Comedy Central (@ComedyCentralKE) September 17, 2015
15.
Assumptions and fear don’t keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building. https://t.co/ywrlHUw3g1
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 16, 2015
16.
Kids who take pride in their nerdy work should be cherished & nurtured, not cuffed & interrogated #IStandWithAhmed https://t.co/mbZgmlEfHT
— Mehreen Zahra-Malik (@mehreenzahra) September 17, 2015
17.
White kid makes a nuclear reactor? He’s a genius. Brown Muslim kid makes a clock? A terrorist #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/mvqxPX1I95
— Sara Khan (@Main_Pakistani) September 17, 2015
18.
Hi @IStandWithAhmed ! I’d love you to join us for our science show Generator in Toronto on 28 Oct. There’s a ticket waiting for you.
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) September 16, 2015
19.
We should be encouraging our children’s interest in innovation, #tech, and #STEM education. Nice work, Ahmed. #IStandWithAhmed
— Steny Hoyer (@WhipHoyer) September 17, 2015
20.
.@larrywilmore on the arrest of a Muslim kid with a clock. #NightlyShow #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/b97RcYGfkG
— The Nightly Show (@nightlyshow) September 17, 2015
21.
#IstandwithAhmed this father represents Islam exactly the way we’ve been taught. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u4P1U7iurq
— Zeinab ✗ Aoude (@zaoude) September 17, 2015
22.
A young boy shouldn’t have to stop expressing their talent just because of your wrongful stereotypes #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/crdUiqs1Bo
— Abbas Sarsour (@iFalasteen) September 17, 2015
23.
OMG. I love the Internet. 😂😂 ⏰⏰ #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/iviR0oq1xT
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) September 17, 2015
24.
Ahmed – NASA ♥ your shirt! #JourneyToMars needs inspired kids like you. Keep doing #NASATech! http://t.co/HvVH5xoYof pic.twitter.com/YOZKO8J7ky
— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) September 17, 2015
