Ahmed Mohamed IStandWithAhmed Obama Twitter

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Photo: Paul Bricknell/Getty Images.

On September 14, high school freshman Ahmed Mohamed was handcuffed in his Texas high school after a clock the student had made was assumed to be a bomb. Mohamed, a member of his school's robotics club, is a Muslim with parents from Sudan — and his arrest triggered a nationwide outpouring of anger over the Islamaphobia, racism, and over-aggressive policing many see in the incident. The hashtag #IStandWithAhmed, which was trending on Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday morning, has been tweeted over 200,000 times (and counting). Users have jumped on to praise his curiosity and interest in science — and to condemn prejudice. President Obama was among those to express support:

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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

Along with U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton:

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

Ahmed was photographed with handcuffs behind his back wearing a NASA T-shirt; an engineer from the space agency, Bobak Ferdowsi, jumped in to offer the boy a job (a couple years from now).

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

And hundreds others joined in to praise his scientific spirit.

Hey @NASA!! Help save Ahmed's passion for science. Send him to NASA Space Camp! #IStandWithAhmed
— Ellen Oh (@elloecho) September 16, 2015

He felt like a criminal, because of doing what he loved. I thought schools are supposed to promote passion driven work? #IstandwithAhmed
— karishma (@warholzjm) September 16, 2015

Most kids who made a homemade clock in 20 minutes would be hailed as Jimmy Neutron. Muslim Kid? Potential bomb maker. Sad. #IStandWithAhmed
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) September 16, 2015

Ahmed Mohamed lives in Irving — a conservative town whose mayor, Beth Van Duyne, made national news earlier this year for an anti-Sharia law bill many read as Islamophobic. Irving is, of course, in Texas, a state notorious for its pro-gun culture. That lead to a lot of tweets that look like this

Aww look at those cute little white kids with guns. Wait, is that a Muslim boy with a CLOCK?! RUN! #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/Nsce7Z8kpk
— Nikki Gloudeman (@NikkiGloudeman) September 16, 2015

Same country, Same State, Same Police, Same People, Just 1 Brown Muslim & 1 White kid #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/RNeWaVaDb3
— Farhan Khan Virk (@FarhanKVirk) September 16, 2015

Left = a child with a gun Right = a child who built a clock. Now guess which One Got Arrested. #IStandWithAhmed pic.twitter.com/vHYRqiPGC6
— ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ (@NasMaraj) September 16, 2015

Now it looks like Mohamed is going to have a busy social calendar, since many of his supporters have offered him tech company office tours, and even a stay at space camp.

Creative minds are always welcome at Space Camp, and we appreciate donors who help them come. Someone has provided a scholarship for Ahmed.
— SpaceCampUSA (@SpaceCampUSA) September 16, 2015

You’ve probably seen the story about Ahmed, the 14 year old student in Texas who built a clock and was arrested when he...
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Hey @istandwithAhmed, if you ever want to get into the world of music, let me know. #theworldisyours #IStandWithAhmed
— NE-YO (@NeYoCompound) September 17, 2015

Mohamed was released from police custody but the school suspended him for three days. He tweeted his gratitude on Wednesday morning.

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

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