Muslim schoolboy arrested over homemade clock withdraws from school

Father says Ahmed Mohammed said he didn't want to go to the high school following the incident

A Muslim schoolboy who was arrested and dragged out in handcuffs for bringing a homemade clock to class withdrew from his suburban high school in Texas.

Ahmed Mohamed’s father, Mohamed El-Hassan Mohamed, said he had taken all of his children out of schools in the Irving independent school district in Dallas, according to Associated Press.

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The 14-year-old’s father said the family was still deciding where the children should be educated.

Ahmed was handcuffed after a teacher and school principal thought a clock he brought to school was a ‘bomb.’ Although, Ahmed was not charged, he was suspended from school for three days.

“Ahmed said, ‘I don’t want to go to MacArthur,’” Mohamed told the Dallas Morning News. “These kids aren’t going to be happy there.”

News of the arrest sparked an outpouring of support for Ahmed, including from US President Barack Obama.

Read: Muslim student arrested in US after home-built clock mistaken for bomb

The turmoil surrounding Ahmed’s case has affected the teenager, his father said, adding that his son has lost his appetite and is not sleeping well. “It’s torn the family and makes us very confused,” he said.

Further, the 14-year-old’s father said numerous schools have offered Ahmed a place. However, he said he wanted to give his son a break before making a decision.

Read: Obama invites arrested Muslim schoolboy to White House

The family plans to fly to New York on Wednesday, where UN officials want to meet his son. He said then if they can get the right visas, he wants to take his son on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia.

“I ask Allah to bless this time. After that, we’ll see,” Mohamed said.

When they return, they planned to visit to White House and meet Obama, he said.

This article originally appeared on The Guardian.