US health chief faces widespread rebuke over his anti-Arab remarks
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed Arabs had won no major international awards and 'don't produce' science or literature at a Michigan campaign event.
US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced widespread criticism from civil rights groups, healthcare advocates and Democrats over his anti-Arab remarks made at a campaign event in Michigan on Monday. Kennedy falsely claimed that Arabs have never won major international awards and have made no significant contributions to science and literature.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called his remarks a textbook display of unvarnished racism and bigotry. Despite Arabs making up 500 million people worldwide, Kennedy claimed they don't produce science, win Nobel Prizes, Fields prizes, Wolf Prizes, or literature. Nobel Prize winner Ahmed Zewail, who was Arab and passed away in 2016, would disagree with Kennedy's comments.
The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment. Rights advocates have expressed concerns over Trump and his allies escalating rhetoric against Muslims, Arabs, immigrants, and ethnic minorities during the midterm election campaign. Kennedy's "vile anti-Arab rant" is a textbook display of racism and bigotry, the Council on American-Islamic Relations stated.
His sweeping erasure of Arab contributions to humanity is maliciously false and fuels anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate when communities are already vulnerable to bigoted attacks from other officials.
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