An Obama administration spokesman said that President Obama does not regret inviting the “Clock Boy” to the White House astronomy night on Monday, even though Ahmed Mohamed’s family is now moving him to Qatar.
Mohamed’s Irving, Texas, high school officials had him arrested last month when they mistook his science project, a homemade digital clock, for a bomb. Mohamed shot to international notoriety and scored himself an invitation to the White House’s annual astronomy night, and even got to chat with Obama.
Now that Mohamed’s family says they are taking the Qatar Foundation up on a scholarship opportunity for the 14-year-old and moving to the Middle East, the White House wishes him well.
“I think Ahmed enjoyed his time at the White House in the Rose Garden for astronomy night,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters traveling with Obama to West Virginia on Wednesday. Schultz added that White House had no regrets about extending the invitation.
“We are going to move to a place where my kids can study and learn, and all of them being accepted by that country,” Mohamed’s father told the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday.
After being escorted from his suburban Dallas high school in handcuffs, Obama tweeted to Mohamed from his personal Twitter account: “Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House?”
However, the Sudanese-born Mohamed ultimately did not end up showing off his clock on the South Lawn Monday night.
