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#IStandWithAhmed: How the internet stood up for a wronged Muslim student

Budding inventor Ahmed Mohamed received support online as people mocked authorities for racism and Islamophobia

Updated 17 Sep, 2015

Everyone from the average joe on social media to celebrities and politicians are up in arms about how 14-year-old student Ahmed Mohamed was suspected to be a terror threat — all because he was smart enough to invent his own clock.

Ahmed Mohamed, a high-school student residing in Irving, Texas, built a home-made clock which he took to school to show to his engineering teacher who. When his clock's alarm went off during another class, his teacher took notice of the invention, confiscated the clock and Ahmed was then pulled out of class by the school principal and a police officer on suspicion of having built a bomb.

This was certainly depressing.

What is not depressing, however, is how quickly scores of people came together on social media to defend Ahmed and express indignation over the school's decision, evident racial discrimination and Islamophobia.

After the #IStandWithAhmed hashtag started trending on Twitter, Ahmed got a enormous boost of support when US President Barack Obama said this about him:

Hillary Clinton jumped in:

Mark Zuckerberg invited Ahmed to Facebook and told him to 'keep building:'

In Pakistan, celebrities were not far behind. Hamza Ali Abbasi shared his take:

Journalist Saima Mohsin had Ahmed's back:

Nadia Jamil introduced us to a page that's raising funds for his college education:

And then the fun began. The incident provided fodder for people to express their anger through humour, and some of the memes that resulted were not only hilarious, but only very on point.

This guy decided clocks should be America's new weapon of choice:

This person wanted to let the beat drop:

Jokes about 'forward' thinking Texas made the rounds:

How come no one noticed this huge threat in a Disney musical!

Armed to the nines much?

We've all hated our teachers at some point...

And the biggest threat of them all...

Although Ahmed was released after an investigation, he has responded that he would like to change schools and thanked his supporters.

Lesson learned? Clearly the internet has no 'time' for haters.

Comments

Ateist Sep 17, 2015 02:14pm

Despite all these, selective doubts against certain communities will not vanish, and these communities need also to share the blame for it.

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Moosa Sep 17, 2015 02:27pm

Brother they did this to you because you are a MUSLIM, walk with your chest out my son and tell them keep looking over your shoulders because the clock is ticking

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rehan Sep 17, 2015 02:38pm

"wronged" Muslim student ? It was the extreme form of prejudice and racism by USA .

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Amer Rao Sep 17, 2015 03:03pm

#istandwithAhmed

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Shamyla Khan Sep 17, 2015 03:35pm

I was delighted to see and smiling to read all the responses,As a mother of two sons ,one in high school,other in the elementary ,It worried me. I hope it does not leave any painful scars,or nightmares.Watch the Canadian Cartoon Arthur and DW on u tube.He should for sure change biased teachers,school.May God Protect all the innocent creative,curious,NASA students.He has been offered scholarships!!!!

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PHILOSOPHER (from Japan) Sep 17, 2015 03:41pm

JE SUIS AHMAD

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Naji Sep 17, 2015 03:52pm

Great work Ahmed, keep it up. From Pakistan

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M. Jan Sep 17, 2015 04:04pm

Good on President Obama for supporting this kid. He must know how it feels to be treated differently because of your colour or religious affiliation. Ahmed should keep on studying hard to become a great scientist and contribute to the wellbeing of America far more than the bigots and racists who doubted him.

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Muhammad Sep 17, 2015 04:04pm

Hamza Ali Abbasi !! The name I looked immediately in the list of Social Media Commenters and found him on top. He is too predictable.

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sam Sep 17, 2015 05:21pm

It is un-fortunate that most of the times American's realization of the situation is either late or wrong particular to Islamic or 3rd world. Ahmed and other guys keep enventing until the day of understanding

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Mahmood Sep 17, 2015 06:55pm

Good for him. Glad to see not everyone in America is paranoid about Muslims. This incident alone may catapult him into a promising career as an Engineer... Google, Microsoft, Facebook calling.....

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haneef Sep 17, 2015 07:06pm

Ahmad,dont be despondent,this acknowledges how clever you are . only the dumb people oppose the genious. inshallah you are going to be great human being, as WELL as a great scientist. WISH ALL THE GOOD LUCK IN YOUR LIFE

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Taqi Sep 17, 2015 07:17pm

Still no apology from the school district, the principal, Police Chief or the xenophobic mayor!

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FerozQ Sep 17, 2015 07:21pm

Has Mr. Hamza Ali Abbasi ever spoken against injustices permitted and perpetuated against minorities in his own country or he is only interested in pointing out what goes on in the US?

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AA Sep 17, 2015 07:22pm

Actually his "digital Clock" does look like a bomb...that too in a briefcase

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KN Sep 17, 2015 07:22pm

By the way, it was't an impersonal internet. But thousands of American people of all races who supported Ahmed. This is what real America is about.

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sajjad Sep 17, 2015 07:33pm

AHMED and IRAQ has the same story, except that the innocent kid is free now, and country is destroyed.

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muhammad salman Sep 17, 2015 07:39pm

i really appreciate Ahmed. children like Ahmed must be appreciated.

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Aqbal Sep 17, 2015 07:49pm

He is a cute and smart kid. Good luck in life young Ahmed. Science is beautiful. Science is the truth. Keep studying science and maths, and English ! Enjoy your trip visit President Obama.

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karur Sep 17, 2015 07:57pm

Here we go again! An innocent act by a Muslim youth gets him in trouble in the uS where sterotyping of Muslims is a passion amongst some! But, Obama's gesture shows that the US is aware of this problem!

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IBN E ASHFAQUE Sep 17, 2015 08:18pm

@KN This makes the American nation great. Raising their voice against injustice.

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vrpatil Sep 17, 2015 08:55pm

Actually it's a message to states ,religions and communities( which sponsoring terror and harbouring terrorists), and how it can affect their innocent kids(future generation).

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Gautham Sep 17, 2015 09:25pm

Despite the dumb complaint from his English teacher, I don't think Police are at fault. They did what they had to when called out by the School. The blame goes to the school for having dumb teachers. While this was avoidable the other side of the story - support that Ahmed got from President down to the ordinary citizens is extraordinary and that happens only in the US. That is the greatness of US.

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Asim Sep 17, 2015 09:41pm

Thanks to the global community on the Internet ,,there is hope

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Mustafa Sep 17, 2015 09:56pm

@rehan One should not blame entire USA for this. Not everybody is Islamophobic here. There are many in USA who have supported Ahmed. Didn't they? However, I would like to see more tolerance towards Muslims in the hearts and minds of US's people.

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Mustafa Sep 17, 2015 09:59pm

'The British have created a bomb, possibly attached to a rocket ' Very creative comment by Larkin Chapman. May be Big Ben is a code word for Big Boom.

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Mustafa Sep 17, 2015 10:00pm

Obama should transfer his Nobel prize to Ahmed.

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Vijay Sep 17, 2015 10:07pm

Ahmed, get out of racist Texas as fast as you can. A good future awaits for you at MIT , Google and Facebook. The rednecks in Texas ain't going anywhere.

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Abdool Razack Sep 17, 2015 10:11pm

@IBN E ASHFAQUE : A creative mind is an asset for a nation,how is it possible for a teacher and a Principal failed to appreciate this?

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Abdool Razack Sep 17, 2015 10:15pm

A creative mind is an asset for a nation.How is it possible for a teacher and a principal failed to appreciate this?

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Ali Sep 17, 2015 10:32pm

I STAND WITH AHMED! Proud of you Ahmed and you have a beautiful name. Keep up the great work and keep building little bro, we all love you dearly. Ali

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Mohamad USA Sep 17, 2015 10:56pm

School & Law enforcement has to protect the students..... just a case of misjudgement. What is important is that President Obama & Hilary showed they care. Use of teenage boys as suicide bombers in Arab countries & South Asia is not uncommon though.

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Ash20 Sep 17, 2015 11:27pm

All religion people support this boy and it should be always like that but Muslims never raise their voice when insane Muslim terrorist attack in various parts of the world. Moderate Muslims need to raise their voice.

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Jesse Jackson Sep 18, 2015 12:03am

Kid was treated back because if the color of his skin and not due to religion or name. Many Blacks with Christian names are treated even worse. So don't make it a religious issue but it is a race issue

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Son of Pakistan Sep 18, 2015 12:30am

I appriciates those americans who stand for support Ahmed, american media, and also US persident Obama.. No doubt majority of americans are consiouse peoples, i wonder how these nation paid their mistake.. Otherwise who be Ahmed,? An ordinary black student.? In this way, i am imagin Qasur matters, where 200 students raped several in the name of blackmailing. Ahmed is lucky, that he is not in Pakistan, otherwise must be face so ATC.

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Brighton Sep 18, 2015 04:16am

wrong has been turned into right by the most conscious people of USA. God has blessed you and you will shine more.

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Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Sep 18, 2015 04:38am

Thank you very much Ahmed Mohamed (Mahalo in Hawaiian) for your creative work at such a tender age and bearing with pain and agony which rang the bell not only for the United states but for the whole globe not to judge a person based on religion and race. I have been in the USA for over 40 years as an educator and had FBI clearance all the time because my wife being a banker. Also, I have been a professor teaching all branches of US military forces. Many times during my travels along with my children I have been pulled aside from airline check in line. Even, at times flights were delayed because of my security clearance while my children wondered why it's taking too much time for us to check in. Thank God I'm in the profession of teaching to convey to uniformed students such irrational treatment simply based on religion or race. Thank you again Ahmed Mohamed for your creative work and tolerating pain and agony because of wrong perception of your religion and race. God bless us all. Amen.

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indus Sep 18, 2015 06:44am

Ahmad should be invited to Pakistan and awarded sitara e jurat.

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Being Human Sep 18, 2015 09:14am

Moosa, "Clock is tickling" for WHAT? don't you think you are responsible for such prejudice against that innocent kid? This kind of statement also comes under racism. But we have a habit to define racism only against black, tribes, certain religions.

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Gary Sahi Sep 18, 2015 09:24am

Every right thinking human being stands with Ahmed Mohammad- Today and ever after. Judging a person on the basis of where he/ she is born is the worst thing that a human being can do to another human-being.

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Muhammad Saleem Sep 18, 2015 11:04am

The America is behind the world to follow the human rights. Are the discrimination between the white, Black, And brown does not fall in the human Rights? or dealing the muslims in bad way is in human rights. if not, then the America is not sincer with the implementation of human right act but have other some bad /hidden purpose that they can not show because of shame. if they were sincer with the human rights & social justice then they must follow or implement it in its own country first. But they have something bad in heart that they want to give to other country but not america .... shame

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MAKHMOOR Sep 18, 2015 02:46pm

Ahmad Mohammad ,Well done,you take the Islamic message of PEACE to all corners of world

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