We Stand With Ahmed – An Open Letter to Ahmed Mohamed

When we first saw this headline, we here at GeekDad were alarmed:

Irving 9th-grader arrested after taking homemade clock to school

Then when we read further, we were dismayed. Here is a kid, doing what every kid should be doing: experimenting, playing, following his passions. Here is a kid who tried to show those passions to those who were supposed to be trusted adults: his teachers. And instead of congratulating him for his effort, they responded, for whatever reason, with distrust and fear. He told them it was a clock. A cursory examination would have borne that out. They chose to let their preconceptions guide them. That’s not right. That’s never right.

Ahmed, we stand with you. We support your efforts to learn. We support your efforts to tinker. We support your efforts to proudly demonstrate your dedication to science and nerdery by rocking a NASA shirt.

We are putting out the word to all our contacts in the maker industries to send along their support as well. Don’t stop what you’re doing and Geek On, Ahmed!

If you’re interested in helping out directly, Anil Dash of Makerbase has started a campaign: Help Ahmed Make. You can send your social support using the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed.

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