US Health Secretary Insults Arabs: 'They Produce No Science or Literature, Nor Do They Win Nobel Prizes'

Comments by U.S. Health Minister Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparked a wide wave of anger on social media platforms after he directed criticism at Arabs during an election rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, claiming they do not contribute to science and literature and have not won Nobel Prizes. Speaking at the rally, while discussing the Muslim Brotherhood and Democratic Senate candidate Abdulrahman Al-Sayed, Kennedy said there are about 500 million Arabs in the world, “yet they do not produce science, do not win the Nobel Prize, do not win the Fields Medal, do not win the Wolf Prize, and do not produce literature.” Republican candidate Mike Rogers had raised the issue of the Muslim Brotherhood during his campaign against Abdulrahman Al-Sayed, who denied any affiliation with the group and publicly distanced himself from it. Kennedy defended Rogers’ remarks, arguing that discussing the group does not constitute “Islamophobia,” before describing those influenced by it as belonging to a “cult of death” and, in his words, being immersed in an ideology of “victimhood, killing, and genocide.” Kennedy’s comments drew sharp criticism on social media, with some users accusing him of racism and belittling Arabs, while others refuted what they described as inaccurate claims, citing Arab scientists and writers who have received prestigious international awards. Critics pointed out that Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988, and Egyptian scientist Ahmed Zewail won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999, in addition to receiving the Wolf Prize. They also highlighted Jordanian-Saudi scientist Omar Yaghi, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025. Commentators condemned Kennedy’s remarks for ignoring the scientific and literary contributions of Arab and Islamic civilization, pointing to notable historical achievements in fields such as mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy, including the development of algebra and algorithms. Critics viewed the comments as part of an escalating election rhetoric targeting minorities and immigrants, especially since Kennedy made them in Michigan, a state home to one of the largest Arab communities in the United States. Others argued that treating Arabs as a monolithic block to judge their scientific and literary output ignores the significant diversity within Arab societies and the varied contributions of individuals throughout history.