Obama Invites Muslim Student to White House Following School Arrest for Homemade Clock

A Muslim student who was arrested in Irving, Texas earlier this week for bringing a homemade clock to class has been invited to visit the White House by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Sudanese-American ninth grader Ahmed Mohamed was handcuffed at his school last week in Irving, Texas after bringing a homemade clock to his class.

Mohamed, an aspiring engineer, was reportledly arrested on the grounds that he brought a fake bomb to school. The ninth grader argues that he had constructed a digital clock using a pencil box and had brought the creation to class to show his science teacher.

Photos posted to social media show Mohamed being escorted by police while in handcuffs and wearing a NASA t-shirt.

"They arrested me and told me I committed a crime of a hoax bomb - a fake bomb," Mohamed told the local WFAA-TV media outlet.

Although Mohamed was not charged, his arrest has prompted outcry over social media by those who argue Mohamed was stereotyped as a possible terrorist for being Muslim.

U.S. President Barack Obama tweeted an invite for Mohamed to visit the White House and bring his homemade clock.

"Cool clock, Ahmed," the president tweeted at the 14-year-old. "Want to bring it to the White House?"

"We should inspire more kids like you to like science," the president added. "It's what makes America great."

Police in Irving, Texas have argued that Mohamed was "passive aggressive" in his answers regarding the clock when questioned at school.

"We attempted to question the juvenile about what it was and he would simply only say it was a clock. He didn't offer any explanation as to what it was for, why he created this device, why he brought it to school," James McLellan, with the Irving Police said in a statement.