A day after meeting President Barack Obama at the White House, the North Texas teen arrested for bringing a clock to Irving's MacArthur High School last month will move with his family to Qatar.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Mohamed family said, in part, "Our family has been overwhelmed by the many offers of support we have received since the unfortunate incident of Ahmed's arrest."
"After careful consideration of all the generous offers received, we would like to announce that we have accepted a kind offer from Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) for Ahmed to join the prestigious QF Young Innovators Program, which reflects the organization's on-going dedication to empowering young people and fostering a culture of innovation and creativity," the statement continued.
Mohamed briefly met Obama Monday at The White House Astronomy Night event.
"[The president] told me he meant what he said about wishing we had more scientists and kids interested in science. And I told him, 'Soon I'll get one of my projects on Mars.' And he said, 'I hope you will, I hope you will,'" Ahmed said.
The Irving Independent School District refused to apologize for the Sept. 14 arrest and three-day suspension imposed on the student.
School officials said they were following policy when the student's homemade digital clock was labeled a "hoax bomb" at first, even though they said it soon became clear to them the device was not a bomb.
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School officials said they could release more information about the incident if the teen's parents provide a privacy waiver.
The teen's father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, said school officials never asked him to provide such a waiver in visits to MacArthur High School and Irving ISD headquarters since the incident.
He said there is nothing in school records to justify handcuffing the 14-year-old.
As for his impending move to the Middle East, Ahmed had the following to say, in the family's written statement: "Qatar was a cool place to visit. I loved the city of Doha because it's so modern. I saw so many amazing schools there, many of them campuses of famous American universities. The teachers were great. I think I will learn a lot and have fun too."
Ahmed Press Release (Text)
