Muslim schoolboy Ahmed Mohamed, 14, accepts Obama's invitation to the White House but is MOST excited to hear from MIT - and he still wants the clock back that led to his arrest  

• Ahmed Mohamed appeared on Good Morning America Thursday morning to talk about his arrest sparked by a clock 
• Teen made the alarm clock in his bedroom on Sunday night
• He took the clock into MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas Monday
• Teachers claimed his alarm clock looked like a bomb and called the police 
• He has now spoken out about arrest, and thanked his online supporters
• President Obama invited Ahmed to the White House via a tweet 
• The 14-year-old said he was most excited to hear a message of support from MIT - his dream school    

By Snejana Farberov and Chris Pleasance For Dailymail.com

Published: 08:09 EST, 17 September 2015 | Updated: 15:11 EST, 17 September 2015

Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old Muslim boy from Texas who landed in handcuffs after having his homemade clock mistaken for a bomb at school, said that of all the messages of support he has received over the last 24 hours, he was most excited to hear from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - his dream school.

Mohamed appeared on Good Morning America Thursday, telling Robin Roberts that he isn't going to let this incident deter him from pursuing his dream of becoming an inventor.

President Barack Obama was among the many well-wishers who reached out to the Irving, Texas, teen after a photo of Ahmed in police custody went viral Wednesday morning.

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Speaking out: Ahmed Mohamed appeared on Good Morning America Thursday telling Robin Roberts that he isn't going to let the clock incident deter him from pursuing his dreams

The 14-year-old told Roberts it was weird getting arrested and he felt scared in the moment 

Gracious hosts: Ahmed confirmed he has accepted President Obama's invitation to visit the White House 

Obama tweeted: ''Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.'

In his GMA interview Thursday, Ahmed confirmed that he has accepted Obama's invitation to come to the White House and meet the president, saying, 'I hope to see him soon.'

Asked if he was planning to bring his now-infamous clock with him, Ahmed revealed that Irving authorities have yet to return it to him.

'The clock is still in custody with the police,' he said. 'I want it back with my humility.'

Ahmed also confided that of all the prominent figures who have reached out to him offering their support, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and NASA officials, he was most thrilled to hear from MIT.

'I dream of going there,' he said.

During a Wednesday night interview on All In With Chris Hayes, the MSNBC host surprised Ahmed and his mother by bringing in astrophysicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, of MIT, who extended an invitation for the teen to visit the college and get a tour of the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. 

'I just want to say, you are my ideal student,' Prescod-Weinstein told Ahmed. 'A creative, independent thinker like you is the kind of person who should be becoming a physicist... You are the kind of student we want at places like MIT and Harvard.' 

As for his plans for the future, Ahmed said on GMA that he would like to appear on his favorite show, Shark Tank, with one of his inventions.

'This [the clock] isn't my first invention and it won't be my last invention,' a determined Ahmed told Roberts. 

Media blitz: Ahmed and his mother also appeared on MSNBC's All In With Chris Hayes 

Beaming: Hayes surprised Ahmed by bringing in astrophysicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (left), of MIT, who extended an invitation for the teen to visit the college

Reflecting on Monday's incident, Ahmed reiterated that he brought the clock he had built using a circuit board, a digital display and several wires enclosed in a pencil case, to impress his teacher, but his plan quickly backfired.

‘When I did show it to her, she was kind of scared when she saw it. She saw a clock but in her opinion it looked like a threat to her,’ he said.

Ahmed also revealed in the interview that ‘it felt really weird’ getting arrested – an outcome he had never envisioned for himself.

The 14-year-old boy was placed in handcuffs by Irving police, despite his repeated protestations that the device he had created was not a bomb but a timepiece.

‘I was scared at the moment but now I feel really happy that I'm getting all this support from all over the world,’ he said. ‘And as important as it is for me, it's for everyone who's been through this, I will fight for you if you can't stand for yourself.’ 

Speaking at a press conference yesterday afternoon, Mohamed addressed other talented youngsters, encouraging them to 'go for it' when it comes to following their passions. 

'Don't let people change who you are, even if you get a consequence [sic] for it.

'I suggest you still show it to people because they need to see your talent.'

Despite the backlash against Ahmed's arrest, Irving mayor Beth Van Duyne has defended the school and police, saying she couldn't fault either of them.

Despite public outcry over Ahmed being handcuffed and led away from school (left), Irving mayor Beth Van Duyne (right) today said that the school and police were 'not at fault'

Irving Police Department have released a photo of the homemade clock that Ahmed Mohamed brought to school which they thought could have been a bomb

Ahmed became an online sensation today when pictures began circulating of him being handcuffed at his school in Texas on Monday, before he was taken to a police station and questioned by officers after bringing a homemade clock into class.

Despite the device being part of a homework assignment for an engineering class at MacArthur High School in Irving, Ahmed said officers mistook it for a bomb.

According to the schoolboy he was taken to a juvenile detention center, fingerprinted, had his mugshot taken, and was questioned by police before his parents arrived and took him away.

While the school was initially reported to be considering charging him with a bomb hoax, Ahmed revealed this afternoon that all charges have now been dropped.

Speaking to CBS, he said: 'So I guess everyone knows I'm the person who built a clock and got in trouble for it. 

'I built a clock to impress my teacher, but when I showed it to her, she thought it was a threat to her. I was really sad she got the wrong impression of it and I got arrested for it.'

Following his arrest he became the top trending topic on Twitter, with the hashtag '#IstandwithAhmed' being used hundreds of times each second around the world.

Addressing his supporters, he said: 'Thank you to all my supporters on Twitter, Facebook, and social media.

'I would never have got this far if it wasn't for you guys. Not just you guys, but everybody.'

He also revealed that he is still suspended from school until Thursday, and that police still have his clock as evidence.

However, he added that he may never return to MacArthur as he is looking into transferring to 'any other school'. 

Asked about his arrest and whether police spoke to him without a lawyer present, Ahmed appeared to confirm it, but was quickly hushed by his legal team, who said they would respond to those allegations at a later date. 

Ahmed Mohamed, 14, the Muslim student arrested earlier today after police mistook a clock he had brought into school as a bomb has spoken out to thank those who supported him over social media

Asked what message he has for other talented youngsters who are thinking of showing off their abilities, he said: 'Go for it. Don't let people change who you are'

Ahmed also revealed that he is still suspended until Thursday, and that officers have yet to return his clock, but added that he is looking at transferring to 'any other school'

Despite the outpouring of support for Ahmed, including from President Obama and Hillary Clinton, Irving's mayor did not seem to share their outrage at the arrest.

Writing on Facebook, Ms Van Duyne said: 'I do not fault the school or the police for looking into what they saw as a potential threat. 

They have procedures to run when a possible threat or criminal act is discovered. They follow these procedures in the sole interest of protecting our children and school personnel. 

'To the best of my knowledge, they followed protocol for investigating whether this was an attempt to bring a Hoax Bomb to a school campus. 

'Following this investigation, Irving PD has stated no charges will be filed against the student. 

'I hope this incident does not serve as a deterrent against our police and school personnel from maintaining the safety and security of our schools.'

She later added that she would be 'very upset' if the same thing happened to her child, and said she hopes Ahmed will not be discouraged from trying hard at school, but offered no apology to him or his parents for what had happened.

Speaking about his future, Ahmed said that he wants to attend either Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the University of Tampa.

He also told reporters that he has other inventions in the works which involves using magnets to generate power, but refused to reveal details, saying he wanted to get it patented first.

Asked about his celebrity supporters, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Mark Zuckerburg, he said he was pleased to receive their messages. 

To a large round of applause, Ahmed also revealed he will be accepting Obama's request to go to the White House and bring his clock along. 

Earlier today Obama had tweeted: 'Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.'

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also extended an invite to meet the 14-year-old and wrote on his personal Facebook page: 'Having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest. The future belongs to people like Ahmed.

'Ahmed, if you ever want to come by Facebook, I'd love to meet you.'

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton also joined in and tweeted: 'Assumptions and fear don't keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building.'  

Bobak Ferdoswi, an American systems engineer at NASA, wrote: 'Hey Ahmed, give me a call in a couple years. We could always use smart, curious & creative people.' 

Bobak Ferdoswi, an American systems engineer at NASA wrote a message of support 

In response to the outcry over Ahmed's arrest, Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said charges won't be filed against him, but said the teen should have been more 'forthcoming' when questioned by cops.

Boyd said the clock 'was certainly suspicious in nature,' reports DallasNews.com. 

'The student showed the device to a teacher, who was concerned that it was possibly the infrastructure for a bomb,' Boyd said, adding that Ahmed was handcuffed 'for his safety and for the safety of the officers.'

'The follow-up investigation revealed the device apparently was a homemade experiment, and there's no evidence to support the perception he intended to create alarm,' Boyd said.

Boyd said Ahmed's religious beliefs did not factor into the decisions taken.

'We live in an age where you can't take things like that to school,' Boyd said. 

This afternoon when asked about the president’s tweet, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, ‘The president like many of us was struck by the news reports of this particular incident.’

‘In this instance, it's clear that at least some of Ahmed's teachers failed him. That's too bad. But it's not too late for all of us to use this as a teachable moment. And to search our own conscious for biases in whatever form they take. 

When discussing if Obama thought bias was a factor, he said: 'From this distance it's far too early to draw that direct assessment from here.'

But he said, 'I think there are some difficult and penetrating questions that do need to be asked in pursuit [of that information].'

Irving police Chief Larry Boyd delivers a statement regarding Ahmed Mohamed, during a news conference, in Irving, Texas

'This episode is a good illustration of how pernicious stereotypes can prevent even goodhearted people who dedicated their lives to educating young people from doing the good work that they set out to do.’

The White House, he said, was pleased to extend an invitation for the student participate in astronomy night next month. At the event he'll have the opportunity to meet with government scientists and NASA officials.

'We are hopeful that Ahmed will feel right at home here.'

Earlier today, Ahmed told the Dallas Morning News that he built the clock on Sunday in his bedroom in about 20 minutes, using a circuit board, a digital display and several wires.

He enclosed the device into a pencil case with a tiger hologram on the front. 

Ahmed said he first showed his invention to his engineering teacher, who gave him some advice. 

'He was like, "That's really nice. I would advise you not to show that to other teachers.''

He kept the clock in his bag, but it started to beep later in the day during an English class. He then showed his clock to the teacher who said it looked like a bomb.  

He said he did not lock the box as he 'did not want it to look suspicious'. Instead he secured it with a cable. 

Ahmed said the principal claimed his clock looked like a 'movie bomb'. He was then pictured being led away from the school in handcuffs while wearing a NASA t-shirt. 

Speaking after his release, Ahmed said: 'It made me feel like a I wasn't a human. It made me feel like I was a criminal.'  

Police spokesman James McLellan said: 'We have no information that he claimed it was a bomb. He kept maintaining it was a clock, but there was no broader explanation. 

'It could reasonably be mistaken as a device if left in a bathroom or under a car. The concern was, what was this thing built for? Do we take him into custody?'

Speaking after his release, Ahmed said: 'It made me feel like a I wasn't a human. It made me feel like I was a criminal'

Ahmed Mohamed (second from left) and Alia Salem (right), Executive Director of CAIR-Texas Dallas Fort Worth

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has already spoken to lawyers in connection with Ahmed's situation.

Reaction on social media has been overwhelmingly critical of the handling of the situation. 

His family has asked campaigners to share the photograph of Ahmed been led away in handcuffs. 

A twitter hashtag #IStandWithAhmed has been trending prominently, with celebrities such as Wil Wheaton, who played a child science prodigy in Star Trek Next Generation supporting the teenager.

During the interrogation, Ahmed was not allowed to contact his mother or father and the authorities seized his invention as well as his tablet computer. 

The hashtag #IStandWithAhmed was tweeted more than 450,000 times by early Wednesday afternoon.

Ahmed's father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, who earlier told the Morning News that his son 'just wants to invent good things for mankind. But because his name is Mohamed and because of Sept. 11, I think my son got mistreated.'

His father, who immigrated from Sudan and once ran for that country's presidency, told CNN Wednesday that he was upset that the school did not contact him immediately to tell him about the situation.

The boy's family says Ahmed was suspended for three days. It's not clear if he'll be allowed to return to school now that police have said he won't be charged.

Ahmed Mohamed brought his home made clock into MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, pictured 

School district spokeswoman Lesley Weaver declined to confirm the suspension, citing privacy laws.

This spring, the city council endorsed one of several bills under discussion in the Texas Legislature that would forbid judges from rulings based on 'foreign laws' - legislation opponents view as unnecessary and driven by anti-Muslim sentiment.

At a later council meeting, the turnout included some denouncing Islam. One woman declared 'Sharia law is Islam, and Islam's goal is to immigrate, assimilate and annihilate.' A man sitting in the audience shouted 'That is offensive!' and was escorted out.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is reviewing the action against Ahmed.

'This all raises a red flag for us: how Irving's government entities are operating in the current climate,' Alia Salem, executive A 14-year-old Muslim student will face no criminal charges for taking a homemade clock to class that his suburban Dallas high school teachers thought resembled a bomb, the police chief said Wednesday.

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