Ahmed Mohamed, the Muslim teen ignorantly accused of making a bomb after bringing a homemade clock to his high school in Texas, paid a proper visit to the White House on Monday night after being personally invited by President Barack Obama. Ahmed’s visit coincided with Astronomy Night, a downright enviable event that includes stargazing from the comfort of the White House’s South Lawn and appearances from confirmed rock starBill Nye.
"We need to inspire more young people to ask about the stars," Obama told attendees. "We have to watch for and cultivate and encourage those glimmers of curiosity and possibility, not suppress them, not squelch them. Not only are the young people’s futures at stake, but our own is at stake." According to the Huffington Post, Ahmed also scored a tour of the laboratories over at the National Institute of Standards and Technology shortly before soaking up the astronomical scenery at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Ahmed, just 14 years old, dominated headlines earlier this year when he was arrested at MacArthur High after bringing a homemade clock to school to show his teachers. The school's handling of the incident, which shouldn't have been an incident to begin with, prompted widespread support for Ahmed on social media, a viral sensation that eventually prompted Obama's invitation:
