Richard Dawkins Trashes #IStandWithAhmed: ‘It Looks Like a Hoax’

Alex GriswoldSep 21st, 2015, 11:33 am

Noted British scientist and atheist activist Richard Dawkins took to Twitter Sunday to bash the viral story that 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school, saying that it looked as though the entire thing was a hoax.

Dawkins began by linking to a YouTube video purporting to show that Mohamed’s homemade clock was just a normal clock that had been stripped of its plastic casing.

If this is true, what was his motive? Whether or not he wanted the police to arrest him, they shouldn’t have done so https://t.co/LtOFAAmVxK

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

Assembling clock from bought components is fine. Taking clock out of its case to make it look as if he built it is not fine. Which is true?

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

Yes, there are other reasons why a boy might take a clock out of its casing & pretend he'd made it. Trying to impress teachers, for instance

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

If the reassembled components did something more than the original clock, that’s creative. If not, it looks like hoax http://t.co/bBcaWoJpbd

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

It's fine to disassemble & reassemble a clock. http://t.co/bBcaWoJpbd But don't claim it's your INVENTION. https://t.co/fZFF59vV0n

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

I agree, although his English seems good, it's possible he doesn't know the meaning of "invention". And he should NOT have been arrested.

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

I agree, that is most plausible. We were all fooled, and arresting him was wrong. Like searching shoes at airports. https://t.co/oHcLfMSVqy

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

I'm not putting down the child. I'm putting down myself & the rest of us for being fooled. And the police for arresting him for nothing.

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

If the authorities really thought it might be a bomb, why did they not evacuate the building? Casts doubt on their motive for arresting him.

— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) September 20, 2015

[h/t The Blaze]

[Image via screengrab]
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