Photo Credit: USA Today/Dallas Morning News
“Texas teen arrested for bringing a homemade digital clock to school” – About a week ago, most news stations nationally and globally were covering this one story. A fourteen year-old student by the name of Ahmed Mohamed genuinely wanted to impress his teachers at MacArthur High School, but instead, he was placed in handcuffs and thoroughly interrogated. Luckily, a photo taken of him in handcuffs outside of his school went viral after it was posted on social media. The photo warranted global attention as the Twitter hashtag #IStandWithAhmed was trending.
Although suspended for three days, Mohamed was praised as a national hero for his effort. President Obama, Mark Zuckerburg, MIT, and many others recognized him. At the same time, he somehow sparked a much-needed talk on culture and prejudice. In an interview with MSNBC Mohamed stated, “They interrogated me and searched through my stuff and took my tablet and my invention. They were like, ‘So you tried to make a bomb?’ I told them ‘No, I was trying to make a clock.’” In the end, he persevered through intense interrogation without being able to consult his family. Is this how students with unconventional science projects are to be treated? Should cellphones be devices of concern as well?
On one hand, this viral photo initially sparked public outrage and allegations of racism that extended to the offices of some notable institutions. On the other hand, after about a week, there had been some backlash claiming that: First, Mohamed did not make a clock, he took one apart and reassembled it, and second, that the clock actually resembled a bomb so the school is justified.
What is really going on here? Was this a case of discrimination? I think so. Safety precaution, false alarm, overreaction, whatever you want to call it, it still doesn’t justify that this young man has become a victim. For those who claim Mohamed did not make the clock, it does not matter. He genuinely assembled something in an effort to display his interests academically.
The reaction by staff and police could have been avoided. School officials at the Texas High School believe that the actions of the staff and police were appropriate. I beg to differ. Lesley Weaver, a spokeswoman for Irving Independent School District, released a statement claiming, “We will always take necessary precautions to protect our students and keep our school community as safe as possible. That is our priority.” This response from the public school does not reflect an institution that is taking accountability for its actions. This case represents one of the many incidents of Muslim discrimination that may have gone unrecognized nationwide since 9/11.
Both liberal and conservative Americans have struggled with tolerance of Muslim peoples throughout the twenty-first century. It is undeniable that as a nation we have been in opposition with extremist Muslim groups and individuals responsible for acts of terror on American soil, but all peoples with similar features, attire, names, or religious affiliation are not terrorists. As a nation, we have to strive to better our relations between one another across cultures. We have to be more aware of the effect of our prejudices can have on others. Ahmed Mohamed was found to be innocent after they realized he was telling the truth, and he is in the process of transferring schools.