In the German town of Völklingen, far-right mayoral candidate Otfried Best has promised to rid his town of one of the most insidious influences of Islam: Arabic numbering. During a debate, an opposing candidate from the satirical Die Partei party asked about the ubiquitous presence of Arabic numbers and Best pledged to change the numeric infiltration of Arabs.
In reality, “Arabic numbers” originated in India as early as the first century. In the 9th century they were adopted by Arabs as “Hindu numerals.” For that reason, they were called Hindu-Arabic numbers.
Here is the exchange:
Mr. Best … I find it alarming that in Völklingen many house numbers are displayed in Arabic numerals.
How would you like to take action against this creeping foreigner infiltration?
You just wait until I am mayor.
I will change that.
Then there will be normal numbers.
Politico writer Dan Diamond reported the story on Twitter.
Presumably, we will revert to Roman numerals but it is worth noting that this year we can write 2017.
The fact is that suspicious foreign types have been peddling Arabic numbers for years:
Don’t know their history of numbers. The Europeans used to call the numerals Arabic because that is where they got them from. The Arabs actually called the numbers Hindu numerals, because that is where the Arabs got it from. The numeral system was actually invented by Indian mathematicians.
Will the world ever come to it’s senses. There is important business to be conducted by governments around the world that will affect people’s lives. This is time wasting and wheel spinning. The world needs to get back to doing the important stuff and stop worrying about offending people. People need to grow up, get a life and learn to ignore things that offend them. Has everyone got a geranium in their cranium? How about engaging the brain that has been in suspended animation during all this frivolous BS.
You’re asking for an outbreak of common sense…… Don’t hold your breath !
Round em up and ship em to Buchenwald. Go for the ones with the muslim numbers on the houses.
I won’t go down the chimney of a home at Xmas eve if there is some muslim numeral on the front of the house for the address.
Then there will be normal numbers.
Not of Muslim immigrants or non-German birthrates.
We need an urgent study program to figure out what sort of numerals Vikings and other pagan Germanic tribes used ….
CV Brown – Der Waffle House from Dead Like Me. 😉 They could handle a small mob. Booths and tables.
CV Brown – yes, I had that image, too, but didn’t add it. 🙂 BTW, Hulu has several of the last years of Dragnet. if you want to relive that period.
Cardinal (number) Sin
While attempting to read Arabic numbers on a license plate in Kuwait, I verbalized my attempts: 3, 7, 3 …” when my driver interrupted and asked “what are you doing?”
“I am attempting to read the Arabic numbers on that license plate,” I replied.
“Those aren’t Arabic numerals,” he said, “those are Indian numerals.”
Sounds like another Obama type lackey who so happens to be German.
The best, however, is Hank Johnson asking if adding more troops would tip the island of Guam over.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnk0tIqsbYM
Some of the people on this blog would fit in well with this German and Hank Johnson.
His days as a mayoral candidate are numbered.
I opine that it was all humor by all the participants. Would play well in German.
The Hindu-Arabic Numeral System was invented by Indian mathematicians between the 1st and 4th centuries, and adopted by Arabs in the 9th century. So the Germans should just have a bier and chill out. Besides, if they want to reduce the influence of Arabs, they need to get rid of Merkel and revise their refugee/immigration system. Although it’s a bit late for that……Europe is screwed as far as security, crime, and culture are concerned.
Says you? I’m sure the Euros are paying rapt attention to some random Trump teabagger expressing his “learned” opinion.
This is to “didn’t get the memo” tin
Mark M – I’ll read your memo if you can actually express an idea worth considering, rather than just lob petty insults.
The anti T rump Merkel will win in a landslide.
Wrong!
Arrogant ignorance is the worst enemy of humanity. The pity is that today young people waste more time with electronic gadgets than books.
If getting rid of Arabic numerals would bring an end to algebra, I vote yes. It stood me in great stead to be able to read Roman numerals, since for a long time all movies were dated that way. It was they only way to tell when it had been originally copyrighted.
If he is successful, he will rune Germany. . .
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I support this assertion.
He’ll have to do away with algebra, too, but I doubt he knows how to do it. I’m not sure how he thinks the use of Arabic numbers encourages Muslim interference. He sounds as if he’s as thick as Trump if that’s even possible.
Not really. The person given most credit for inventing algebra was al-Kawrizmi (sp?) who was a Persian, not an Arab. And his mathematical studies were based on the earlier work of the Babylonians. After the conquest of Iran by the Muslims, the Arabs credited much of the great learning and inventions of the Persian Empire to themselves, but they weren’t the same people. Same is true of Eqypt. The Greeks colonized Eqypt and built Alexandria, making it one of the great learning centers of the world at the time. But the Arab Muslims who came along centuries later were warriors, not scholars.
DCLXVI
Sometimes politicians lend credibility to the argument that one must fail an IQ test to be elected.
Haha. If the trogs who lurk here could figure this out, they’d want to exorcise you or more likely burn you….
🤣🤣🤣