RFK Jr. Claims Arab Muslims No Longer Win Top Science and Literature Prizes

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made controversial comments about Arab Muslims at a campaign event in Michigan on Monday. He claimed that Arab Muslims no longer produce important science or literature and that they no longer win major prizes like the Nobel Prize. Many people quickly pushed back, saying his remarks were wrong and hurtful. Kennedy was there to support Republican candidates running for office in Michigan.

Kennedy blamed a group called the Muslim Brotherhood for what he described as a decline in Arab achievements. The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist political movement that was founded in Egypt in 1928. Kennedy argued that the group introduced ideas that damaged Islam's long tradition of art, science, and literature. He said the Brotherhood created 'stagnant societies' that have 'let down their own people.'

Kennedy did acknowledge that Arab and Islamic civilizations had a rich history of achievement. He pointed to the 'Golden Age' of Islam, a period lasting nearly a thousand years when Islamic lands were leaders in art, science, and engineering. He said, 'All of that tradition has been destroyed by the Muslim Brotherhood.' Kennedy also insisted that criticizing the Muslim Brotherhood is not the same as being against Islam as a whole.

However, Kennedy's claim that Arab Muslims don't win major prizes is not accurate. Ahmed Zewail, an Egyptian American chemist, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999. Tawakkol Karman, a journalist from Yemen, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. Experts in Middle Eastern studies were quick to point out these and other examples.

Samer S. Shehata, a professor of Middle East studies at the University of Oklahoma, called Kennedy's remarks 'incredibly disappointing' and 'bigoted.' He said there is a long history of Arab contributions to science — not just in ancient times, but also in recent years. He pointed to writer Ibrahim Nasrallah, who won a major literature award last year sponsored by his university.

Kennedy was also using the event to campaign against Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate running for a Senate seat in Michigan. Kennedy tried to connect El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed strongly denies. El-Sayed has called those accusations Islamophobic, meaning they unfairly target people based on their Muslim faith. His campaign said he has no personal or family ties to the group.

The Michigan Senate race is considered very important for both parties. Republicans want to keep their control of the Senate, while Democrats see this race as a chance to gain ground. El-Sayed has tried to win over voters who care about health issues like clean water, healthy food, and reducing pesticides. Kennedy also criticized El-Sayed for supporting COVID-19 rules like lockdowns during the pandemic.

Kennedy has been traveling across the country to support Republican candidates during this year's midterm elections. After Michigan, he was scheduled to appear at a rally in Iowa for Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn. The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment about Kennedy's remarks.