RFK Jr is wrong about the Arab world
Its challenges in knowledge production cannot be blamed on some kind of innate incompetence or a political group.
At a recent campaign rally in Michigan, United States Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr made remarks that have caused much controversy. He alleged that Muslim Arabs do not produce science and literature and do not win major awards because of the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.
This was not merely a hasty and inaccurate assessment of the knowledge production of a specific demographic. It was a statement that reflects racist attitudes and misconceptions about an entire region and an entire religion. It is also easily refutable.
There are plenty of Muslim Arab scientists, thinkers and writers who have made major contributions over the past century. Some of them are Nobel laureates, such as novelist Naguib Mahfouz, diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, journalist Tawakkol Karman, and scientists Ahmed Zewail, Moungi Bawendi and Omar Yaghi. Many others have not received a Western award but have nevertheless contributed significantly to their own countries and the world.
A society that does not provide a researcher with a suitable laboratory, does not grant universities sufficient independence, does not allocate the necessary resources for research and does not ensure the continuity of scientific institutions cannot expect results comparable to those of a society that invests sustainably in these areas.