US: Outcry after Muslim teen is detained over homemade clock

[Jdietz]

In all the commotion I never actually saw said 'clock' on a picture. Did it look something like this?

($32 retail freely available in the US..: https://usb.brando.com/usb-time-bomb-alarm-clock_p03083c0035d015.html )

Edited September 18, 2015 by Jdietz

[lifeincnx]

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said it best:
"Having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest. The future belongs to people like Ahmed."

[sambum]

"Khalid Hamide, a spokesman for the mosque the family attends, appealed for politicians "to be careful with the words that they use when they refer to Muslims, because this event is not an isolated event."

And doesn't that just about say it all about the "threatening" attitude of Muslims worldwide?

No, but your post says it all about yours.

I would have made the same comment if you replaced the word "Muslims" in the statement by Khalid Hamide, with the word "Catholics" , "Protestants" or "Mormons"!

The point I was making was that Muslim spokesmen seem to have this "don't speak about us in an unfriendly manner or else" attitude in their comments to the media. (Sound familiar?)

Can you imagine the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury using the same terminology?

By the way, I am of no religious persuasion whatsoever, I just don't like what happens when religious fanatics try to enforce their will on everybody else.

He is telling people to be careful with their words, because words can sow and are sowing hatred at the moment.

You made up the 'or else', attitude and threatening parts. So yes, your post says all there is to be said about your attitude.

"He is "telling" people ................" etc etc. Indeed, you may like to be told what to do or say, but I don't, and while I appreciate your point about "words can sow and are sowing hatred at the moment", my words are not intended as such.

And yes, "to be careful with the words that they use when they refer to Muslims, because this event is not an isolated event." sounds to me like a guarded threat, as would " to be careful with the words that they use when they refer to Hindus". And yes, I made up the "or else" bit because that is what "be careful" implies to me.

If you don't like my attitude, that is your prerogative, but I am entitled to have my opinion about the way that some people would like to enforce their will upon others.

And to get back on topic, I think that yes, if you're not sure what it is, and it's got a battery and wires coming out of it, better safe than sorry, regardless of the carrier's religious denomination!

[cookee68]

Better safe than sorry, and why the big outcry, oh i forgot that Muslim religion was involved, look miss do you like my boom, maybe others did not like it either, did they think of that, why do all the tree huggers throw it out of proportion. Now is not the time to bring things like that into a school, maybe next time, it could be a bomb, let's test the waters first

[stevenl]

All those saying ' better safe than sorry', what was done safe here? Shouldn't the school have been evacuated, or 'the bomb' taken away from the school?

And of course Muslim religion was involved, he would not have been arrested were it not for him being Muslim.

Edited September 18, 2015 by stevenl

[attrayant]

Had he not been a muslim would there have been an outcry? I doubt it

7 kids not named Mohamed who brought homemade clocks to school and didn't get arrested.

There's only a circuit board and a display. Where's the alleged bomb?

A sad story but a happy ending.

Edited September 18, 2015 by attrayant

[FritsSikkink]

Better safe than sorry, and why the big outcry, oh i forgot that Muslim religion was involved, look miss do you like my boom, maybe others did not like it either, did they think of that, why do all the tree huggers throw it out of proportion. Now is not the time to bring things like that into a school, maybe next time, it could be a bomb, let's test the waters first

no, people go apeshit when a muslim kid brings a home made clock to school, get a life and don't be so scared all your life.

[Jingthing]

As usual, Bill Maher gets it right:

What if if had been bomb? So the teacher is supposed to see something that looks like a bomb and go oh wait this might just be my white privilege talking. I sure don't want to be politically incorrect, so I'll just let it go ...

Edited September 19, 2015 by Jingthing

[FritsSikkink]

As usual, Bill Maher gets it right:

What if if had been bomb? So the teacher is supposed to see something that looks like a bomb and go oh wait this might just be my white privilege talking. I sure don't want to be politically incorrect, so I'll just let it go ...

did the evacuate the school before the police came? NO, so pure BS

[attrayant]

Maher:

...it looks exactly like a fncking bomb".

Thus demonstrating that he doesn't know what a bomb looks like, and therefor the rest of his discussion is built on that foundation of ignorance. He gets a few things right, like saying the kid deserves an apology. But the whole zero-tolerance policy in schools these days is ridiculous, like kids getting suspended for bringing aspirin or a doctor-dispensed prescription to a school that has a "no drugs" policy.

I showed the pencil-box clock to my 68 year-old mother. When I told her about the bomb hysteria, she said something to the effect of "well there some electronic stuff there, but where's the "bomb" part of the bomb?" So even she recognized that a circuit board alone doesn't make a bomb, and that you need a sizable amount of explosive or otherwise reactive material before something actually qualifies as a bomb.

I think the teachers recognized this too, otherwise they would have brought in the bomb squad and evacuated the school.

Edited September 19, 2015 by attrayant

[Jingthing]

The info in the video suggests the teacher that had a problem with it asked the boy to explain the device, and he did not. Given the teacher was concerned, whether you think that is valid or not is irrelevant, when you add in the non-cooperation of the boy, bottom line, the teacher was basically obligated to do something. One can question exactly what was done as it was clearly over the top in this case, but the principle is the same. A student in a school needs to follow the rules of the school and respect questions from a teacher ... or there will be (and should be) consequences.

Also, if it had gotten out that the teacher was concerned, questioned the boy, and the boy didn't cooperate, and the teacher did nothing (even with the no bomb) I would think that maybe the teacher could have been in trouble for not doing his job.

People are being way too quick to assume this boy is totally blameless in how this incident got blown up and frankly I now have some suspicions that this MIGHT have been a setup by him (or people handling him) to create a publicity event of Islamophobia which he knew would almost definitely be a win for him. as of course he knew he had no bomb.

Of course, you never know, it could have gone south and he could have gotten shot by some hopped up SWAT team.

After all, we're talking TEXAS!

To add, personally I feel sympathy for the vast majority of American Muslims who are not terrorists and do not support terrorists. It must be very unpleasant to be stereotyped that way as they often are. It's a similar situation that African Americans face ... elevated suspicion based on only what they are, rather than what they've personally done.

Edited September 19, 2015 by Jingthing

[55Jay]

As usual, Bill Maher gets it right:

What if if had been bomb? So the teacher is supposed to see something that looks like a bomb and go oh wait this might just be my white privilege talking. I sure don't want to be politically incorrect, so I'll just let it go ...

Excellent video clip, thanks, Bill usually get right to the heart of it.

I wasn't aware, however, that there is such a thing as a Muslim-American.

[Jingthing]

Not sure what you're on about.

Muslim American. American Muslim. You get the point. What's the problem?

Maybe you mean Muslim isn't a nationality. That's true but a person can be multiple hyphenated Americans.
For example Muslim American and also Syrian American.

Edited September 19, 2015 by Jingthing

[55Jay]

Not sure what you're on about.

Muslim American. American Muslim. You get the point. What's the problem?

Only recognizing that social programming and messaging can even reach Bill Maher.

Muslim isn't a nationality or ethnicity. Had one of his guests reminded, Bill would of most likely corrected himself.

[Jingthing]

Not sure what you're on about.

Muslim American. American Muslim. You get the point. What's the problem?

Only recognizing that social programming and messaging can even reach Bill Maher.

Muslim isn't a nationality or ethnicity. Had one of his guests reminded, Bill would of most likely corrected himself.

Often used with religious identity as well. I think you're fabricating an issue that doesn't exist.

[chuckd]

Where's Jon Stewart when the liberals need him?

[JHolmesJr]

I wasn't aware, however, that there is such a thing as a Muslim-American.

Suspect it's a bit like african american…satisfies the PC american psyche of putting everything into neat little compartments.

[Jingthing]

So what do you call Thai Muslims or Swedish Hindus? Hmm?

[cookee68]

Better safe than sorry, and why the big outcry, oh i forgot that Muslim religion was involved, look miss do you like my boom, maybe others did not like it either, did they think of that, why do all the tree huggers throw it out of proportion. Now is not the time to bring things like that into a school, maybe next time, it could be a bomb, let's test the waters first

no, people go apeshit when a muslim kid brings a home made clock to school, get a life and don't be so scared all your life.

and Muslims go ape shit when you call a dog, or a toy Mohhamed, Is that the life you are talking about, don't worry he will have a good job in the future,

[Jingthing]

He's cool and if it was an intentional prank he's even cooler. No bomb so no worries.

[JHolmesJr]

This kid was on al jazeera and the interviewer asked him why the teacher hassled him…he said "because Im muslim"…jeez the poor li'l bleeding heart….I really think he's now reading from a script that he has been coached with.

[jerojero]

Don't think this was a race-religion motivated action by the school or police, but indeed a gross overreaction by them. Actually it borders on stupidity and they should be ashamed.

[55Jay]

Not sure what you're on about.

Muslim American. American Muslim. You get the point. What's the problem?

Only recognizing that social programming and messaging can even reach Bill Maher.

Muslim isn't a nationality or ethnicity. Had one of his guests reminded, Bill would of most likely corrected himself.

Often used with religious identity as well. I think you're fabricating an issue that doesn't exist.

I know what Bill meant. You also get my point, but decided to fabricate a bigoted context so you could rally against it?

[Jingthing]

Not sure what you're on about.

Muslim American. American Muslim. You get the point. What's the problem?

Only recognizing that social programming and messaging can even reach Bill Maher.

Muslim isn't a nationality or ethnicity. Had one of his guests reminded, Bill would of most likely corrected himself.

Often used with religious identity as well. I think you're fabricating an issue that doesn't exist.

I know what Bill meant. You also get my point, but decided to fabricate a bigoted context so you could rally against it?

I have no idea what you're talking about now, except now I suspect you're just trying to stir it up for sport.

Again, it is TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE to refer Muslim Americans, Catholic Americans, or whatever, and I guarantee you Bill Maher would have no problem with religious identity descripters as well.

Bill is an Ex-Catholic Atheist/Agnostic American.

So there!

[chuckd]

This is all much ado about nothing. The kid should never have brought something like that to school. Here is an interesting EDITORIAL about the entire thing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

OPINION

How Ahmed’s clock became a false, convenient tale of racism

By Kyle Smith

September 19, 2015 | 2:35pm

When is America going to get serious about the problem of white kids getting suspended from school for nothing?

By now you’ve heard the story of Ahmed Mohamed, crowned by the Daily Beast “The Muslim Hero America Has Been Waiting For” after the 14-year-old brought to school a beeping, strange-looking homemade concealed device that turned out to be a clock.

School officials, thinking, as 95% of Americans would, that it kinda looked like a bomb, hauled him out of class. Police put him in handcuffs and, even after the confusion passed, the boy was suspended from school.

That earned Mohamed a planned trip to the White House, a message of support from Hillary Clinton, an offer to stop by Facebook to meet Mark Zuckerberg and an invitation to be an intern at Twitter.

Continues here: http://nypost.com/2015/09/19/how-ahmeds-clock-became-a-false-convenient-tale-of-racism/

[attrayant]

The kid should never have brought something like that to school.

Why, because teachers can't figure out that circuit board + wires ≠ bomb? The kid has an engineering teacher, and thus likely has some sort of engineering or basic electronics class or club.

It's hilarious (in a sad sort of way) that the NYP author equates a kid who has the ability to use spare parts to make a digital clock with another kid who has the ability to chew a pop-tart into the shape of a gun, and then insist that both are deserving of the same outpouring of support from the president and other high-profile personalities.

[Jingthing]

I'm pretty neutral on all this but I do think it's clear there is more to this story than meets the eye. People are perceiving this story based on their political biases. The actual truth is somewhere else.

[FritsSikkink]

This kid was on al jazeera and the interviewer asked him why the teacher hassled him…he said "because Im muslim"…jeez the poor li'l bleeding heart….I really think he's now reading from a script that he has been coached with.

so you tell us why he was hassled

[Tep2]

This is all much ado about nothing. The kid should never have brought something like that to school. Here is an interesting EDITORIAL about the entire thing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

OPINION

How Ahmed’s clock became a false, convenient tale of racism

By Kyle Smith

September 19, 2015 | 2:35pm

When is America going to get serious about the problem of white kids getting suspended from school for nothing?

By now you’ve heard the story of Ahmed Mohamed, crowned by the Daily Beast “The Muslim Hero America Has Been Waiting For” after the 14-year-old brought to school a beeping, strange-looking homemade concealed device that turned out to be a clock.

School officials, thinking, as 95% of Americans would, that it kinda looked like a bomb, hauled him out of class. Police put him in handcuffs and, even after the confusion passed, the boy was suspended from school.

That earned Mohamed a planned trip to the White House, a message of support from Hillary Clinton, an offer to stop by Facebook to meet Mark Zuckerberg and an invitation to be an intern at Twitter.

Continues here: http://nypost.com/2015/09/19/how-ahmeds-clock-became-a-false-convenient-tale-of-racism/

Kyle Smith, white boy talking about racism. Perpetuating the non-existent reverse racism meme. Chuck, why would you go to the New York Post for commentary of racial and social issues? There are far more credible sources written by people who actually know about the issue.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Tep2

[JHolmesJr]

This kid was on al jazeera and the interviewer asked him why the teacher hassled him…he said "because Im muslim"…jeez the poor li'l bleeding heart….I really think he's now reading from a script that he has been coached with.

so you tell us why he was hassled

If I was there, I certainly would.

Right now it looks like some woman thought he was taking the piss (even though it was not a bomb) and decided to call the cops to give him a scare.