My words when i read that post.

mullahs who cover you up for life and treat you like a second rate citizen.

Not as clear cut as you make it sound.

on the job building facilities for the World Cup just how fucking "nurturing" that guilded shithole is.

But I think it is strange that the father would pick up the family for the son to go to school. Doesn't he have a job here?

He appears to have great energy, intelligence, and determination to take care of himself and his loved ones.

So there is that.

it can work

All the kid did was take a clock apart, put it in a case and then took it to school. He would not answer questions at the school and was DETAINED, not arrested, and certainly not charged with anything.

He's dishonest as hell. He made a video saying he invented the clock. He referred to the factory made clock, which he took apart, "my invention".

For this he gets rewarded with expensive gifts, offers of free education, goes on a world tour.

He's nothing but a smug little faker and the US is lucky to be rid of him and his family.

Maybe Radio Shack still has stores in Quater so
he can continue to invent and manufacture more.

I agree. When I first saw this story break, I got very upset that a school and police department was profiling a Muslim kid for bringing in a homemade clock. However, after my own knee-jerk reaction, I realized that he did not make anything at all, certainly nothing to garner the attention of all the media. What was worse was the background of his father which made the entity of clock-gate seem to be scripted in that his father, Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, has quite a political background. He unofficially ran for President of Sudan and was involved in the Koran burning incident with Terry Jones back in 2012 in Florida. It's not much to think that this would be orchestrated for personal gain. When I was a kid, I made all kinds of things from bits and scraps and it was nothing special. So to me, it stinks clear that this was a staged event. Nothing was invented except for this event. I imagine most people who also had a knee-jerk reaction to a teen in a NASA tee-shirt being handcuffed, had another when they realized they were duped. Reports state that his family asked for him to remain in cuffs for media pictures. Racial profiling is big problem in the United States so it is understandable that we reacted the way we did, especially the President. But still, even after all this, it still reeks...

And so, the family will move to Qatar...We will still have STEM

He didn't invent the clock, ergo, he really was a terrorist and deserved to be locked up.

It is illegal to question a minor without his or parents or legal counsel present.

The police violated the law by interrogating him.

As a completely fucking innocent person -- and a juvenile at that -- this violated more law than you can imagine.

The underlying racist conspiracy theory is that he was somehow intentionally trying to get this kind of bizarre Gestapo like treatment.

You feel threatened or scared, or you know what these kinds of people are capable of.

Frisk him, detain him, taze him, if you can -- shoot him. You get the picture.

was also ridiculous. He was made out to be some kind of child genius, which he most certainly was not. He was way overcompensated.

They are interviewing him and he points to a USB controller on his desk and says...I invented that.

I put a new hard drive in my laptop. I guess I invented my laptop.

His story is on the front page. http://www.qf.org.qa/

cry him a river. I hope his sisters like Qatar as well.

Apart from the extreme religious laws and the appaling way they treat their 'guest workers', I've a gut feeling that the chaos on their periphery, that they are partially funding, is slowly but surely moving towards the center.

Another ignore

So much hatred packed into only a few words.

Why did the article imply he took this academic opportunity to "leave America" just after meeting Obama, as if that had a thing to do with it?

Obama may have encouraged him to take this awesome opportunity for an advanced education!

The writing and reporting in the article sucks.

I would invest in the Qatar Clock ETF now if I could.

lol

Even if he build the clock from scratch, he still wouldn't have invented the clock, as the clock was already invented many years ago.

he has been awarded scholarships to high school and college. I wonder if he will be able to live up to expectations. He did not "invent" or even "build" this "clock". Apparently, he dismantled an existing Radio Shack clock and stuck it in a pencil box. I have seen no evidence that this kid is any sort of genius. If the Qataris are expecting him to become their own Oppenheimer or Tesla or something, they may be sorely disappointed. Also, Middle Eastern dictatorships tend not to react well to disappointment.

Considering the environment in the U.S. and the potential for additional scrutiny (both positive and negative) during his high school years, it's probably for the best.

Your mother and I are very disappointed in you, and know you can do better.

"Now aren't you just so proud of yourself?"

He made a video claiming to have invented the clock. Also he did not cooperated with the school or the police and it's my opinion he did that to create the illusion of a bomb hoax.

That, in my book, is doing something wrong. I would not have stood by my sons for pulling this shit and they knew it. They grew up to be honest men - that is how good parents raise good people.

He certainly got the results he and his family were aiming for - free gifts, world tour, making an idiot of the president of the United States, free education etc.

Nice to see some sanity.

This was a teenager who was and remains completely innocent of doing anything wrong.

I'm amazed that you continue to try to fabricate something he did wrong, when he did nothing wrong.

When this kind of racist, Gestapo treatment comes to our schools, we need to call it out.

Setting aside the point that I disagree with you that this is a stupid move, or that he's done anything wrong.

But even if I did agree with you on those points, 14 year olds are not only emotionally immature, but PHYSIOLOGICALLY they are INCAPABLE of being adults, no matter HOW BRILLIANT.

It appears the kid stuck parts from another clock into a pencil box.

either he DID something, or there was absolutely no reason for the treatment he received from those idiots at his school, and the police (not to mention the rabid hatred that seems to be emanating from some very strange quarters.)

His English teacher isn't an engineering expert to recognize what it was.

to find a place to hide for a bit could be attractive.

perhaps after the initial support died down they found the haters were still around

He took apart a clock, stuffed it in a box, and claimed he invented it.

The whole thing was a hoax.

Because you really can't possibly fucking believe that he claimed to have invented a device that measures time.

This is beginning to look worse and worse.

Doesn't seem he did anything other than stick parts of existing clock (or clocks) into a pencil box.
Why someone would do it, I have no idea. It wasn't a class assignment.
People seem to think it's somehow innovative or brilliant, which makes no sense to me.

If you don't know why people invent -- or innovate -- then I would really have to agree with you -- you have absolutely no clue.

Do tell.

Jeez, keep up.

And while he may not have "invented" it, I used to like to take things apart and put them back together again when I was a kid. Great way of learning how things work. So I'm willing to give the kid the benefit of the doubt.

. . .

. . .

Women's rights

Women in Qatar vote and may run for public office. Qatar enfranchised women at the same time as men in connection with the 1999 elections for a Central Municipal Council. These elections—the first ever in Qatar—were deliberately held on 8 March 1999, International Women’s Day. It was the first GCC country to enfranchise its population.

Qatar sent women athletes to the 2012 Summer Olympics that began on 27 July in London.
Gender equality

Qatari women have made significant legal and social advancements since the 1990s. Sheikha Mozah has been a vocal advocate for women's issues, supporting women's conferences, higher education opportunities and the creation of a cabinet-level position in the government dedicated to women's concerns. Qatar appointed its first female cabinet minister in 2003, when Sheikha Ahmed al-Mahmoud was named as Minister of Education.

As a result of these advancements, Qatari women have many career opportunities, including leadership positions, in education, banking, charitable projects, health and human services, tourism, law, civil service and even diplomacy. In 1999, Mouza Al Malki became the first female candidate in the GCC to contest a municipal election. Sheikha Yousuf Hasan Al Jufairi became the first female to hold a municipal position when she won the Central Municipal Council (CMC) elections for the Airport constituency in 2003. Two women were simultaneously elected to the CMC for the first time in 2015.

36%–42% of Qatari women are in the workforce and experts say women are moving forward with more rights.. . . .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Qatar

different from what women experience, as well.

Never heard of it, seems unique.

When the previous ruler was alive, he wanted to make more progress in westernizing education, etc. Now he has died and his son is the new Emir, The new Emir is much more conservative. I'm worried to death of the destabilization in the area and what she'd be going into, but she's 22, can't tell her "no", but can stress the concern we have for her. I can't see it getting much better in 2 yrs.

She's hoping to study either Archaeology of the Arab and Islamic World or Conservation Studies at UCL London's Qatar campus. Apparently it's one of only a few schools in the world that teach archaeological art conservation.

It says it hopes to be "the leading centre of excellence in the Gulf region for the study of archaeology, conservation and museology, but to strive with the community to bring cultural heritage to the forefront." In other words, everything that ISIS hates.

that seems to be the general region where stuff is exciting and dynamic, not here in the US. K&R

Are you serious?

It is not an especially progressive country.

wealth inequality, constant warfare, the war on women. . . yep, very progressive and dynamic.

certainly doesn't want a bright young man like him, so Qatar is happy to welcome him, it appears.

I think it's a good move for him.

The US is much more progressive than Qatar.

20 October 2015 – United Nations human rights experts today urged the Government of Qatar to release Mohammed al-Ajami, a poet who is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for writing and reciting a poem at his home.

“The arrest, detention and sentencing of Mohammed al-Ajami in October 2013 seem to be solely related to the peaceful exercise of his fundamental human rights,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye.

Mr. al-Ajami was arrested in 2010 for reciting one of his poems in his house, which criticized the Crown Prince of Qatar while praising the Tunisian revolution and denouncing corruption and oppression by Arab rulers. He was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, which was reduced to 15 years after an appeal made in 2013.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52325#.Vie_u-mprzI

Dozens of Nepalese migrant labourers have died in Qatar in recent weeks and thousands more are enduring appalling labour abuses, a Guardian investigation has found, raising serious questions about Qatar's preparations to host the 2022 World Cup.

This summer, Nepalese workers died at a rate of almost one a day in Qatar, many of them young men who had sudden heart attacks. The investigation found evidence to suggest that thousands of Nepalese, who make up the single largest group of labourers in Qatar, face exploitation and abuses that amount to modern-day slavery, as defined by the International Labour Organisation, during a building binge paving the way for 2022.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/25/revealed-qatars-world-cup-slaves

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2014/15

Employers continued to abuse and exploit foreign migrant workers, who comprised more than 90% of Qatar’s total workforce. The authorities failed to adequately enforce the 2004 Labour Law and related decrees, which contained some protective provisions.

Workers’ living conditions were often grossly inadequate and many workers said they were made to work excessive hours beyond the legal maximum or were paid far less than agreed when they were contracted. Some employers failed to pay workers their wages, and some did not issue residency permits to employees, leaving them undocumented and at risk of arrest and detention. Few workers possessed their own passports and some employers denied workers the exit permits they required to leave Qatar. Construction workers were exposed to hazardous conditions. Under the Labour Law, migrant workers were prohibited from forming or joining trade unions.

Women’s rights

Women remained unable to fully exercise their human rights due to barriers in law, policy and practice. The absence of a law specifically criminalizing domestic violence exposed women to abuse within the family, while personal status laws discriminated against women in relation to marriage, divorce, nationality and freedom of movement.

Freedom of expression

Freedom of expression remained strictly controlled and the press routinely exercised self-censorship.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/qatar/report-qatar/

I've never encountered anyone who thought Qatar was more progressive than the United States.

the most bellicose nation on earth with a known (that is not counting all the off-the books and black ops crap) military budget larger than the next 20 nations combined.

oh, and you might want to read "an indigenous people's history of the united states before you try to defend the US as progressive.

there is a reason that "the 14 signs of fascism" keeps getting posted (see if any of it sounds familiar)


The 14 Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
Free Inquiry
Spring 2003
5-11-3

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed
to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

http://www.rense.com/general37/fascism.htm

Certainly Qatar hits just about every one of those 14 points on your list.

Sham elections, rampant corruption, obsession with crime and punishment, disdain for the arts, suppression of labor power, religion and government intertwined, control of mass media, rampant sexism, scapegoats as unifying cause, disdain for human rights.

Those are all hallmarks of Qatar.

I am not understanding what you find humorous.

Qatar is not a remotely progressive country in any respect.

Are you willing at least to concede that much?

If my efforts are in vain, I can stop now.

Please provide sources, if any.

Well done. I hope you dropped a mic after posting that

Glad the effort was appreciated!

Some progressives you are.

Who gives a shit about the clock? It's the fucking gestapo tactics of the police at issue here. He was treated that way because he is Muslim.

that goes on daily in this messed-up society.

as we all know. (Some days, I wonder why I continue to participate here, but whatever...)

I also think that any kid who carried around a dismantled electronic clock with wires sticking out in a metal case would get some unwelcome attention.

I don't understand it.

The son needs to be able to go to school without this event hanging over his head for the next few years. He most certainly is not responsible for the shit storm of race hatred we clearly see this bungled situation unleashed.

Racists are always waiting, holding their breath until the next chance they can let it all come vomiting out all over again. It's all they can do to hold it in between attacks on others.

The child did absolutely NOTHING to warrant this display of ugly, vicious, ignorant howls of hatred against him and his family. It's hard to believe it, but they also want to attack them, except for daughters, for whom they avow deep sympathy for having to move to an Islamic country.

Simply unbelievable. Way too many racists here for a Democratic message board, unless they imagined this actually was meant to be "Southern Democrat Underground."

He made front page news & he will get a world class education. http://www.qf.org.qa/

Ahmed and his family were invited to visit Qatar Foundation earlier this month in recognition of Ahmed’s creative capabilities that have earned him invitations to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University and more recently, the White House, where he met US President Obama at the ‘White House Astronomy Night’.

Ahmed is the latest recipient of a scholarship from the Young Innovators Program which supports young, exceptional Arabs by offering educational opportunities in Qatar. The Program encourages recipients to follow their aspirations in education while fostering a culture of innovation and creativity.

Qatar Foundation’s unique education cycle aims to provide world-class education from pre-primary to doctorate level. Currently, there are over 6,000 students enrolled across QF schools, Hamad Bin Khalifa University and QF’s partner-universities including, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, HEC Paris in Qatar and UCL Qatar.

Ahmed is not the first young innovator to be impressed with QF as previous young talents have gone on to flourish after studying through QF’s education cycle. Palestinian Iqbal Al Assaad became the youngest ever medical graduate from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar in 2013, and Sudanese Mursi Khalid Mursi Saleh began studying at Qatar Academy in 2006 and is the first child from the Middle East to become a member of Mensa – the most prestigious IQ society in the world. Another young innovator is Raji Al Hammori who studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and is currently pursuing graduate studies at MIT.

After accepting Qatar Foundation’s scholarship, Ahmed said, “I was really impressed with everything that Qatar Foundation has to offer and the campuses are really cool. I got to meet other kids who are also really interested in science and technology. I think I will learn a lot and also have lots of fun there.”

As an incubator of knowledge and talent, QF values its multiculturalism, diversity and non-discriminatory atmosphere, and is happy to welcome Ahmed to the Young Innovators Program. QF is glad to welcome the family to Doha and provide Ahmed with the opportunity to develop his skills and excel in future endeavors.

Since all classes are gender segregated.

Students in Qatar continue to be among the world’s poorest performers, according to a new global education ranking that scored the nation behind most of its regional and international peers.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published its biggest-ever league table of educational attainment in 76 countries, which for the first time includes under-developed and developing nations, as well as richer states.

The report, Universal basic skills: what countries stand to gain, examined how representative samples of 15-year-olds performed in math and science tests, ranking them relative to their peers in more than a third of the world’s nations.

Qatar came in 68th place overall. Coming only ahead of Oman (72nd), it was among the GCC’s poorest performing countries.

http://dohanews.co/report-qatar-ranks-in-bottom-10-of-education-index-but-shows-potential/

problem.

You had written above that Qatar had left the US in the dust, but that is not the case.

brings down their ranking for the extraordinary, quality of their public education .

Much higher top half quality than any schools in the USA with 'thousands of students'. Qatar leaves Americas education system in the dust.