Ibrahim Ahmad, an 18-year-old Middle Eastern student in Washington, was suspended after strapping a fake bomb to himself as part of his plan to get a prom date.
The teen was wearing a vest filled with paper tubes made to look like bombs as he held a sign saying he was “the bomb” and inviting the girl to the dance.
In an interview for the Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Ahmad says that the administration’s reaction “…was really unfair, and it kind of felt racist. If anyone else did that, I feel like no one else would have gotten in trouble for it.”
Ahmad ultimately received a five-day suspension for the incident, which will prevent him from attending prom. It is clear to the staff of The Xavierite that a fake weapon on the property of a school is not something you want to mess with.
With the tragedies that have occurred in schools in recent years, administration tends to take the threat of violence, no matter how insignificant, very seriously. It seems that the old adage “better safe than sorry”, although simple, applies to this situation quite well.
While Ahmad may feel that his punishment was racially motivated, it is important to consider the incident from the perspective of the administration. Those in positions of power within schools are responsible for hundreds or thousands of young lives.
Although their intuition may suggest that there is no real threat, there are policies and procedures set in place that are designed to protect students in the event of a crisis and it is the responsibility of the administration to ensure that those procedures are put into action.
While there is no evidence that his stunt created chaos and panic, there potential was there. Not everyone knew that Ahmad’s plans were innocent. When faced with the threat of violence, racial sensitivity may not be at the forefront of the administration’s mind, it’s safety.
Perhaps what is most troubling about this incident is the fact that there is a lack of recognition on behalf of Ahmad that there are incidents like this that actually happen and are threats in the world that involve suicide bomb threats.
Anything that could basically be viewed as a threat has to be treated like one. If a situation like this escalates and the school’s administration reacted by doing nothing, then they not only look culpable, but also in certain regard are culpable.
A school has to know the difference between shrugging something off as “Kids say the darnest things” and actually taking an action and words as a serious threat.
When violence is concerned – even if it is just the hint of violence or violence mentioned in a comical fashion – then a school is going to take it seriously to protect their image and the students that inhabit the building.
The fact that Ahmad did not understand that from the beginning is a troubling sign. His reaction to the school’s punishment is also woefully glib and sophomoric. In a post 9/11 world, that kind of behavior would not and should not be tolerated by anyone.
No one subject is above satire. But the venue has to be correct if the joke is to have any resonance or work in the slightest.
The Xavierite Editorial Board
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