A claim circulating on social media alleging that New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is pushing legislation to require the use of "Arabic numerals" in the state’s public schools has raised a few eyebrows online.

Newsweek has contacted representatives of Mamdani for comment via email outside of regular working hours.

The Claim

Posts circulating on social media claim Mamdani is expected to introduce new rules when he becomes New York Mayor in 2026 that will require all public elementary schools in the state to learn Arabic numerals.

It appears to stem from a misunderstanding—or a deliberate attempt to provoke controversy or generate ridicule—by using a term that some readers may find unfamiliar even though it refers to the numbers Americans already use. But some social media us

See Full Page