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Opinion

Not Islamophobia, just plain racism

Much of the country is outraged at a Texas school and police department for the arrest of Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old boy, who was arrested on suspicion of bringing a bomb to school. In reality, he had made a clock, and brought it to school to impress his teachers.

When Mohamed showed his English teacher his clock, she said it looked like a bomb. The principal called police, who handcuffed and arrested him. Though he was released and not charged, his school suspended him for three days.  

It is blatantly clear that this is not Islamophobia, as some say, but plain racism and hate. One of his teachers hinted that other teachers at the school would react poorly by telling him that it would not be a good idea to show any other teachers his clock.

Experiences like this are often what cause people to become depressed, psychotic, or maniacal. Mohamed may never recover from this, and may completely stop his work, and become depressed.  Or, he may be angered and want revenge, and only prove the racist people right in their unfair ideals.

Many people including President Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed their support by inviting him to the White House and the Facebook headquarters. Many other people openly stated on social media that the school and police department owed Mohamed a public apology.

While some people are positively supporting Mohamed, others however, are doing just the opposite. For example, some people say that the clock was a fake and it was actually a commercial clock with the casing changed, while it is obvious to me that all Mohammed may have taken were a few parts such as the screen.

In the end while some people support Mohamed, including me, due to his ingenuity, it still remains that some also still believe he made the clock with the intention of making an a bomb, or attempted to use it as a hoax bomb.