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 users may have taken it seriously.
“BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani is expected to require ALL New York Elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals,” one post on X from member of the West Virginia House of Delegates Derrick Evans read. Evans was also as part of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The post has over 300,000 views as of Thursday morning.
Another post from betting market company Polymarket read: “BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals.” The post has almost 14 million views.
The claim caused a stir online, with some X users condemning Mamdani.
It comes after Mamdani released an ad spoken entirely in Arabic at the beginning of November.
The Facts
Arabic numerals are simply the digits 0 through 9—the standard number symbols used in math, banking, street signs, phone numbers, government forms, and every classroom in the United States. They’re called “Arabic numerals” because the system was transmitted to Europe through medieval Arabic scholars, but they are universal and have been used in American schools for centuries.
Given that, the claim about Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani “introducing Arabic numerals to New York schools” has no grounding in reality. There has been no proposal, no legislation, and no announcement from Mamdani related to numerals of any kind.
Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race in a decisive upset, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo—who mounted an independent, Trump-aligned bid—and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
His victory marked one of the most significant political shifts in the city in years, elevating a progressive state lawmaker from Queens to lead the nation’s largest city. Mamdani is scheduled to take office on January 1, 2026, becoming New York’s first Muslim mayor.
The Ruling
False.
Mamdani has not said he will introduce Arabic numerals to New York schools.
