Ahmed Mohamed Scores Truckload Of Freebies From Microsoft Including Surface Pro 3 And Cube 3D Printer
The flurry of good fortune stemming from an unfortunate incident continues to pour on Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old freshman student who was arrested at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, after his homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb. Ahmed has received an outpouring of support through social media, along with physical goods, such as a Surface Pro 3 and Cube 3D printer.
Alia Salem, Executive Director of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas - DFW Chapter, posted a photo to Twitter of Ahmed surrounded by several gifts sent from Microsoft. In the photo, you can make out a Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover and Sleeve, Microsoft Band, Cube 3D Printer, Raspberry Pi, and several other items.
"Enjoyed delivering box of tech goodies gifted by Microsoft to Ahmed! Mashallah!," Salem wrote. She added the trending #IStandWithAhmed hashtag that's been circulating through social media channels since this incident gained notoriety.
Ahmed's rise to Internet fame was probably the furthest thing on his mind when authorities slapped a pair of handcuffs on him. A fellow student snapped a photo of a surprised looking Ahmed, restrained by local police while wearing a NASA t-shirt at his new school, which spread across the web.
According to an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Ahmed's principal and five police officers pulled him out of class and questioned him for over an hour. Ahmed said he asked if could call his parents.
"They told me 'No, you can't call your parents. You're in the middle of an interrogation at the moment.' They asked me a couple of times, Is it a bomb?' and I answered a couple of times, 'It's a clock.' "
Since then, President Barack Obama invited him to bring his "cool clock" to the White House, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has given him an open invitation to stop by his social network's headquarters, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his "dream school," extended an invitation to visit the campus. He's also received intern offers from Reddit and Twitter.
However, not everyone believes Ahmed deserves all the attention he's getting.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin stated on her Facebook page that "the first reports on this potential bomb-imitator were so fishy begin with," suggesting there's more to the story. She also criticized President Obama for inviting Ahmed to the White House.
Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, was also critical of the media's coverage and general perception, Yahoo reports.
"People at the school though it might be a bomb because it looks exactly like a f***ing bomb," Maher said on his show. "So the teacher's just supposed to see something that looks like a bomb and be, '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.' "
According to CNN, Ahmed, who remained suspended throughout all of this, plans to switch schools.
Alia Salem, Executive Director of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Texas - DFW Chapter, posted a photo to Twitter of Ahmed surrounded by several gifts sent from Microsoft. In the photo, you can make out a Surface Pro 3 with Type Cover and Sleeve, Microsoft Band, Cube 3D Printer, Raspberry Pi, and several other items.
"Enjoyed delivering box of tech goodies gifted by Microsoft to Ahmed! Mashallah!," Salem wrote. She added the trending #IStandWithAhmed hashtag that's been circulating through social media channels since this incident gained notoriety.
Ahmed's rise to Internet fame was probably the furthest thing on his mind when authorities slapped a pair of handcuffs on him. A fellow student snapped a photo of a surprised looking Ahmed, restrained by local police while wearing a NASA t-shirt at his new school, which spread across the web.
According to an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Ahmed's principal and five police officers pulled him out of class and questioned him for over an hour. Ahmed said he asked if could call his parents.
"They told me 'No, you can't call your parents. You're in the middle of an interrogation at the moment.' They asked me a couple of times, Is it a bomb?' and I answered a couple of times, 'It's a clock.' "
Since then, President Barack Obama invited him to bring his "cool clock" to the White House, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has given him an open invitation to stop by his social network's headquarters, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his "dream school," extended an invitation to visit the campus. He's also received intern offers from Reddit and Twitter.
However, not everyone believes Ahmed deserves all the attention he's getting.
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin stated on her Facebook page that "the first reports on this potential bomb-imitator were so fishy begin with," suggesting there's more to the story. She also criticized President Obama for inviting Ahmed to the White House.
Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, was also critical of the media's coverage and general perception, Yahoo reports.
"People at the school though it might be a bomb because it looks exactly like a f***ing bomb," Maher said on his show. "So the teacher's just supposed to see something that looks like a bomb and be, '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.' "
According to CNN, Ahmed, who remained suspended throughout all of this, plans to switch schools.
