Is Zohran Mamdani Planning To Make Arabic Numerals Mandatory Fact

Leo Migdal

-Dec 3, 2025, 1:45 PM

is zohran mamdani planning to make arabic numerals mandatory fact

In mid-November 2025, a rumor spread on X that New York City's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani would be introducing "Arabic numerals" to schools in the city. One post from the account of the prediction market Polymarket stated: "BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals." The above claim was false. Mamdani had made no such announcement. Additionally, "Arabic numerals" is the common term for the digits 0 through 9, a number system that is clearly already part of all educational institutions in New York City. We reached out to Mamdani's team to ask for their response to the rumor and to the @Polymarket X account to determine whether the post was satirical in nature.

We will update this story if they respond. While the above post may have been intended as humorous, some online took the claim seriously. Conservative activist Laura Loomer replied to the above post, writing: "You know things are bad when you can't tell if this is real or a joke." Many online shared screenshots claiming to show an... It's real. Isn't it?" We were unable to independently verify that Loomer edited her post. Ever since his win in the 2025 New York City Mayoral Election, many claims have circulated about the policies Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani will implement after taking office on January 1.

The latest rumor spreading on social media alleges that Mamdani plans to make Arabic numerals mandatory for all elementary school students in New York City. "Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals," one viral post on X claimed. Another post read, "Unconfirmed reports suggest that Zohran Mamdani may be preparing a proposal that would require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals." While the claim has generated significant buzz online, it is not true. Mamdani has not made any announcement regarding his education policies. Several of his actual proposals have been widely discussed, including government-run grocery stores, a rent freeze, creating New York City’s first universal childcare program, and making city buses free.

Also read: Trump Administration Plans To Dismantle Parts Of Education Department - How Will This Affect Student Loans? Arabic numerals are the standard digits (0–9) used across the globe. These numerals were developed in India and later spread through Europe by Arab mathematicians, hence the name. Posts claiming Mamdani plans to mandate Arabic numerals in NYC schools sparked widespread ridicule on social media. Does Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have a plan to require all New York students to learn Arabic numerals? No, that's not true: Viral posts making that claim are satirical in nature because Arabic numerals are already widely used everywhere in New York and the rest of the United States.

The joke plays on the ignorance of certain audiences not knowing "Arabic numerals" are the commonly used digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. One example of such a viral post appeared on X (archived here) on November 19, 2025. It read: This is what the post looked like at the time of writing: BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals. The Britannica dictionary defines "Arabic Numerals" (archived here) as:

A technicality over the definition of global numerical systems led to X users sparking a false trending topic about New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani this week, with some taking to the platform to... X’s Grok AI highlighted the misinformation in a trending moment, writing that X users were outraged over the fake news, “despite Arabic numerals being standard in schools worldwide since Arab scholars spread them from... Several fact-check news organisations have debunked the claim, showing that Mamdani made no such declaration. “Arabic numerals is the common term for the digits 0 through 9, a number system that is clearly already part of all educational institutions in New York City,” said fact-checking website Snopes. Encyclopaedia Britannica further explained that the number system was originally invented in India, and then spread widely by Middle Eastern mathematicians. This news article was flagged after viral social media rumors falsely claimed that New York City’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, is planning to require students to “learn Arabic numerals”—a statement that caused confusion, political commentary,...

Given the spread of misinformation and the involvement of public figures, readers are seeking clarity about the truthfulness and context of these reports. The discussion over “Arabic numerals” has surfaced repeatedly in public debates, often as a misunderstood or intentionally distorted point regarding educational standards in the United States. The digits 0 through 9—commonly termed “Arabic numerals”—have been universal in Western education for centuries. Recent rumors about Zohran Mamdani, as he prepares to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor, have played into broader conversations about diversity, identity, and the nature of public education. Understanding these numerals’ origin, which actually traces back to ancient India and their transmission via the Arabic-speaking world, is key to unpacking the discourse. This widespread claim is false.

Arabic numerals—0 through 9—have long been the standard in American mathematics education and are already in use in all New York City schools. Multiple reputable fact-checks confirm that Mamdani made no such announcement or policy proposal. The rumor appears to stem from either a satirical social media post or a misunderstanding and was amplified by online commentators. No evidence from Mamdani’s policy platform or official statements supports the idea that he intends to “introduce” this number system, as it has been in place for generations. For further explanation, see the Newsweek fact check. This claim is unsubstantiated and partly inaccurate.

Mamdani has stated in interviews that his proposed city-run grocery stores would not sell cigarettes or lottery tickets, aiming to avoid direct competition with local bodegas. He has not listed alcohol as among the goods to be excluded, nor did he cite Islamic law as the reason for these policies. Grocery store alcohol sales in New York City are already regulated by law, making such a claim misleading. The context shows no intent to impose religious codes on the stores’ offerings. You can find supporting evidence in this analysis. There is no credible evidence to support this accusation.

Multiple major fact-checking organizations have investigated this rumor and found it to be entirely baseless. No verifiable statements, endorsements, or connections exist between Mamdani’s campaign and the Islamic State. Such claims are part of a broader pattern of misleading narratives aimed at public figures from minority backgrounds during politically charged moments. Reference: Fact Check Resource. A viral claim has been doing the rounds that New York City mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, will require elementary school children to learn Arabic numerals. The claims have been amplified by unverified profiles on social media.

Polymarket, which touts itself to be the world's biggest prediction market, noted on X “BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals.” Derrick Evans, who was part of the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol, also shared the news and wrote “BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani is expected to require ALL New York Elementary school students to learn... Yet another page amplified the claim, stating “Unconfirmed reports suggest that Zohran Mamdani may be preparing a proposal that would require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals.” Notably, these claims hold no basis because the Arabic numerals are what is already taught in schools. The ten Arabic numerals are – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. (KGTV) — Posts on social media are warning that New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is expected to introduce rules after he takes office requiring all public schools to learn "Arabic numerals."

Arabic numbers are simply the digits 0 through 9 that we all use. They're called "Arabic numerals" because the system was taught to Europe through medieval Arabic scholars. But they're universal and have been used in American schools for centuries. Mamdani will take office January 1, becoming New York City's first Muslim mayor. Zohran Mamdani, the first South Asian and Muslim elected as Mayor of New York City and the Indian-American son of filmmaker Mira Nair, won the mayoral contest after promising big changes on the ground:... However, a tongue-in-cheek “mandate" has been blowing up on X, jokingly claiming that the 34-year-old wants elementary school kids across the city to start learning Arabic numerals.

The satirical news spread like wildfire on X as it was amplified by angered X accounts, for they believed the “Islamification of New York" had already begun under Mamdani. The satirical post made by an account @Polymarket noted: “BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals." BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani to require all New York elementary school students to learn Arabic numerals.— Polymarket (@Polymarket) November 19, 2025 The news of Mamdani “forcing" Arabic numerals on Americans gained momentum and reached the target audience it seemingly had aimed for. The claim appeared on social media soon after Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral race People online have been claiming that Zohran Mamdani plans to ‘introduce Arabic numerals’ into New York City schools, but the situation is not as dramatic as it sounds.

The phrase spread quickly and sparked a lot of reaction, so it’s worth taking a closer look at what is actually being said. Mamdani won the New York mayoral election after running a campaign centered on making the city more affordable and improving daily life for residents. His focus on cost of living struck a chord with many voters who felt the pressure of rising expenses. Shortly after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Mamdani went out into the streets to speak directly with New Yorkers about their votes. He noted that the high cost of living was one of the most common concerns he heard from the people he approached. During his campaign, Mamdani—who has openly embraced being the first South Asian and first Muslim mayor in New York City’s history—faced several attacks that targeted his religion.

These comments often had little to do with his policies and became a repeated theme throughout the election season.

Is Zohran Mamdani Planning To Make Arabic Numerals Mandatory Fact

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