US Opinion and Commentary

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For Ahmed Mohamed, the Clock That Launched a Thousand Opportunities

Posted September 18th, 2015 at 3:49 pm (UTC-4)
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How reassuring, then, that what began as overreaction by MacArthur High School officials and Irving police became an avalanche of public support for making, for science and for Ahmed. His father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, said he has been moved by the outpouring for his son.

Clock Teen a Case of “Islamophobia” or Political Cynicism?

Posted September 18th, 2015 at 1:42 pm (UTC-4)
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After 14 year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested and suspended by Texas school officials and cops, all of whom mistook his homemade clock for a bomb, Twitter lit up with cries of stereotyping and racism. Even President Barack Obama took to Twitter to invite Ahmed to the White House. Most observers agree the school and police handled the situation very badly. But there is strong disagreement over what assumptions were made that resulted in the teen being put in handcuffs.