RFK Jr. Denies Arab Scientific Achievements During Michigan Campaign

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced widespread criticism after making false claims about Arab contributions to science, mathematics and literature during a Republican campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 26, 2026. His remarks, delivered while supporting Senate candidate Mike Rogers, contradicted documented achievements by Arab and Arab-descended scholars, scientists and writers.

According to reports published by The New York Times, Al Jazeera and Yahoo on October 27, Kennedy initially acknowledged the historical achievements of Muslim societies before blaming the Muslim Brotherhood for what he described as intellectual stagnation. His comments circulated widely online, prompting critics to cite Nobel Prize recipients and other internationally recognized researchers and authors.

Kennedy began by recognizing the historical influence of Islamic civilization, saying the Muslim religion had produced a golden age. He described Islamic lands as centers of artistic, literary and scientific development before turning to accusations against the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political movement founded in 1928.

During the event, Kennedy asserted that Arabs were not winning major international awards despite their population of approximately 500 million. He stated, "That's why you don't see any Muslims, any Arab Muslims winning the Nobel," according to The New York Times.

He subsequently expanded his claims about Arab achievements, saying, "There's 500 million Arabs in the world, and yet they don't produce — they don't win the Nobel Prize, they don't win the Field prize, they don't win the Wolf Prize. They don't produce literature." The historical record includes Arab and Arab-descended recipients of these awards.

Al Jazeera reported that Kennedy also acknowledged the historical importance of Arabic scholarship before making his allegations. His remarks included the statement, "There's five hundred million Arabs in the world. And yet they don't produce science.

They don't win the Nobel Prize. They don't win the Fields Prize. They don't win the Wolf Prize.

They don't produce literature." The publication documented contributions spanning mathematics, medicine, optics, geography and literature.

Among the historical figures highlighted were Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, associated with the development of algebra, and Ibn al-Haytham, whose work helped establish the foundations of modern optics. Physician Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi produced an extensive medical encyclopedia, while Ibn al-Nafis described pulmonary circulation centuries before it became widely understood in Europe.

Arabic literary and scientific traditions also produced internationally recognized figures in later centuries. Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988, while Egyptian chemist Ahmed Zewail won the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 1993 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999.

Other examples include Michael Atiyah, who received the Fields Medal in 1966 and had a Lebanese father, and Omar M. Yaghi, born in Jordan to a Palestinian refugee family, who received the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2018. Yaghi also won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025, according to Al Jazeera's account.

Yahoo reported that Kennedy further claimed, "They used to — they were the first to make books," before arguing that the region's historical intellectual tradition had been destroyed. He added, "In the 13th century, typical Muslim princes had more books in their libraries than existed in all of Europe," and attributed subsequent stagnation to the Muslim Brotherhood, which he accused of fostering "hatred and war, and victimization."

The remarks occurred as Republicans intensified criticism of Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, over his Muslim faith and background. Kennedy and Rogers alleged that El-Sayed had connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, allegations El-Sayed has disavowed. The New York Times reported that the campaign event took place at Kent County Republican Party headquarters.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called for Kennedy's removal from President Donald Trump's cabinet. In a statement reported by Yahoo, the organization said, "To stand on a public stage as a sitting U.S. cabinet official and dehumanize half a billion people – and millions of Muslim and Christian Arab Americans - with fabricated, white supremacist talking points is utterly disqualifying for public office."

CAIR added, "Anyone who holds such blatant contempt for an entire ethnicity has no business leading a federal agency meant to serve all Americans." The organization argued that Kennedy's remarks were incompatible with his responsibilities as a senior federal official.

Brad Woodhouse, president of the nonprofit Protect Our Care, also criticized Kennedy's comments. Woodhouse said, "Fear and racism are the crutch of pathetic political hacks with absolutely nothing to offer or progress to point to," according to Yahoo.

Woodhouse also connected the controversy to Kennedy's record as health secretary, stating, "Sec. Kennedy thinks spewing hate will distract from his multiple corruption scandals and starring role in the historic measles and food-borne illness crises Americans have suffered through this year. This wasn't the first time RFK Jr. has trafficked in racism, but it may be his ugliest episode yet." His statement called attention to the broader criticism surrounding Kennedy's public conduct and leadership.

The controversy unfolded during a closely contested Michigan Senate campaign in which Rogers, a Republican, was challenging El-Sayed, a Democrat of Arab-American background. Kennedy's appearance was intended to support Rogers as Republicans increased their attacks on El-Sayed in the final days before the midterm elections.