Because It Looks Like A Bomb

Regarding "Muslims: Police, school not at fault in clock alarm" (Friday B3), a boy brings to school a device that has circuit boards, wiring harnesses, loose wires, batteries and a device that looks like a timer, all housed in a briefcase; in other words, a device that in all of its particulars looks exactly like a bomb, and nothing like a clock.  He is briefly taken into custody while the device is investigated, then released.

In response, local Muslim leaders blame un-named political leaders for "espousing inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric and creating a “climate of fear.”

I don't get their argument.  The child brought something that looked like a bomb to school, he was not mistreated by authorities and the matter was resolved.  So unless these leaders are asserting the right of students to bring devices that look like bombs to school, I don't see that they have any complaints, much less the right to sow mistrust by playing the blame game.

Pete Smith
Houston, TX