Arabic Numerals in School Draw Strong Opposition in Brookings Register Poll

[TexasTowelie]

The Brookings Register is messing with its online readers’ heads. As I scroll through their website, they throw me a poll asking, “Should schools in America teach Arabic Numerals as part of their curriculum?”

The poll asks a couple other questions, then throws some dihydrogen monoxide on the Shariaphobia evident in the responses:



As of XVI:XX this afternoon, LVII per cento of MMMMLXXIV respondents oppose teaching children those sinister Arabic numerals. Another XIV per cento chose not to register an opinion on this controversial question of Arabic influence in education.

Your Saturday afternoon challenge is to think of any good (i.e., not bigoted or ignorant) reason for anyone to respond NO to this poll question. Indian nationalists demanding proper recognition for their role in creating our number system? Binary devotees?

http://dakotafreepress.com/2019/05/11/arabic-numerals-in-school-draw-strong-opposition-in-brookings-register-poll/
(no more at link)

[Ninsianna]

1. Ahem, Hindu numerals.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

2. Probably more historically correct.

It's interesting to read about the evolution of our (among other names) Hindu-Arabic numeration system. Seems to depend on context, whether one is referring to the system or just the appearance of the written symbols:

Arabic numerals

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_numerals

In our current form, one could even use the name African Numerals:
(snip)

Arabic numerals are the ten digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The term often implies a number written in the Hindu–Arabic numeral system[1] (where the position of a digit indicates the power of 10 to multiply it by), the most common system for the symbolic representation of numbers in the world today. However, it can also refer to the digits themselves, such as in the statement "octal numbers are written using Arabic numerals."

The Hindu-Arabic numeral system was developed by Indian mathematicians around AD 500[1] using quite different forms of the numerals. From India, the system was adopted by Arabic mathematicians in Baghdad and passed on to the Arabs farther west. The current form of the numerals developed in North Africa. It was in the North African city of Bejaia that the Italian scholar Fibonacci first encountered the numerals; his work was crucial in making them known throughout Europe. The use of Arabic numerals spread around the world through European trade, books and colonialism.

.........

[abqtommy]

3. So the use of these numerals

should be discontinued due to cultural/ethnic misappropriation? (sarcasm)

[Ninsianna]

4. Or just the naming system.