"He looks like a terrorist for f*cks sake!"

"Justice" (Photo: Mohammed Affan/NBC News)

The look on his face says it all.

The absurd thing is that this isn't the first time Ahmed was accused of being a terrorist.In an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Ahmed says he's been called a "terrorist" and a "bomb maker" since middle school.  For anyone that's ever been "the only one" in their school, community, or job, this sounds depressingly familiar.  Ironically, the mentality that led to his arrest, designed to protect students, does the exact opposite.  Most of us reject extremist propaganda.  Why?  Because most of us live pretty decent lives and the message simply doesn't resonate.  By all accounts, Ahmed and his family are peaceful.  Other than Ahmed's extraordinary talent for building things, they're just like any other American family looking for a great education for their kid.  They're living the American dream far away from an oppressive Sudanese regime.  Why would he care about some radical imam thousands of miles away chanting "Death to America" if his belly is full,  he has clothes on his back, and there's a roof over his head? From his perspective, even though he shares their religion, giving them what they want would really kill Friday night.

Pretty sure this looks as crazy to them as the KKK does to us.

Imagine you're in his shoes.  All you care about is building cool things and if that cute girl that sits behind you would be impressed enough to go out with you.  The other kids at school call you names like, "terrorist" and "bomb maker" but you can handle it.  They're dumb and jealous they can't do what  you can so you don't pay them much attention.  You know there's a future without them.  Then, you decide to bring what you think is a cool project for your engineering class.  Though impressed, the teacher cautions, "I would advise you not to show it to any other teachers."  Of course you think this is strange but you comply.  You don't show anyone but the clock ends up outing you by beeping in English class.  You desperately try to explain to your English teacher, someone you're sure is a reasonable adult, that it's not what she thinks it is.  You fail.  Then you're dragged out of class into a room with 6 more adults.  One is the principal.  The other 5 are cops.  Now, they press the issue, refusing to allow you to call your parents and pushing you to say it's a bomb.  Eventually, they slap the cuffs on you like you're on your way to Guantanamo and there's nothing you can do about it. Suddenly America doesn't seem like such a great place.  You went from being an inquisitive teenager to a terrorist because everyone has seen "Die Hard" too many times.  (Side note: this exactly how Hollywood warps your thinking and is yet another example of why it's not just "entertainment")  Now the rantings of a radical Imam talking about America's lies and hypocrisy don't seem so far fetched. What's happening to you is proof.  This is how radicalization starts.  Congratulations, your fear has just turned an ally into an enemy.

It's clear to me no one believed the "bomb" was real.  The English teacher took the device from him until they dragged him into an interrogation room later in the day.  They never asked the engineering teacher, the only person at the school qualified to determine the device's purpose, if it was intended to be a bomb.  They never called the bomb squad nor did they evacuate the school.  This wasn't about the "bomb" at all.  This was about the fear his origin and name inspire among people who believe that "all terrorists may aren't Muslims but all Muslims are terrorists."  A narrative, by the way, that is dangerously inaccurate.  The humiliation of being perp-walked out of school when your only real crime is that you were smart enough to build a clock sends a very clear message.

"You will never be one of us."