Jessica Silvestor

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has declared that 500 million Arabs produce no science, win no Nobel, Fields or Wolf Prizes, and contribute nothing to literature. Where does one even begin? Ahmed Zewail, Omar Yaghi, Moungi Bawendi, Peter Medawar, Elias James Corey: Nobel laureates in chemistry and medicine. Michael Atiyah: Fields Medal. Naguib Mahfouz: Nobel Prize in Literature. But why stop at Nobel Prizes? Huda Zoghbi, the Lebanese-born neuroscientist whose groundbreaking discoveries transformed our understanding of neurological disorders. Elias Zerhouni, the Algerian-born physician who directed the US National Institutes of Health. Farouk El-Baz, the Egyptian scientist who helped NASA plan the Apollo lunar landings. Rachid Yazami, the Moroccan scientist whose work helped make modern lithium-ion batteries possible. Rana Dajani, the Palestinian-Jordanian molecular biologist whose research and educational initiatives have earned international recognition. And these are only a handful among thousands of Arab scientists, physicians, engineers, researchers and intellectuals contributing to humanity, including within America’s most prestigious institutions. (Besides Rana, I am lucky to call of them friends). There is also something profoundly revealing about measuring an entire civilization’s worth by the number of prizes it receives. Science is not a medal count, and human achievement is not a competition between ethnicities. Yes, our region faces serious challenges in education, research funding, academic freedom and scientific development. We should acknowledge them and work to overcome them. But legitimate criticism is very different from erasing the accomplishments of half a billion people. I remember when Caroline Kennedy, a woman known for her discretion, publicly questioned her cousin’s judgment and suitability for public office. Her warning deserves to be revisited. What troubles me most is that such sweeping generalizations come from the man entrusted with overseeing America’s health institutions. Arabs have nothing to prove to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Their contributions are written into the history of science, medicine, mathematics, philosophy and literature. A distinguished family name may be inherited. Intellectual integrity must be earned. And perhaps the greatest irony is this: a man who claims to speak for science should know that science begins with evidence, not prejudice.