Cuomo makes inroads with NYC Muslim community, vows to open first Arabic language charter school if elected mayor

Andrew Cuomo is making inroads with New York City’s Muslim community — vowing to open the first Arabic language charter school, if elected mayor, The Post has learned.

The former governor, who is trailing front-runner Zohran Mamdani by at least 10 points in the latest polls, recently made the pledge to influential Sheikh Ibrahim Niass of the Ansarudeen Islamic Center in The Bronx.

“His willingness to support our efforts for an Arabic charter school is welcomed news,” Niass said.

Cuomo, running as an independent, has been stumping for votes in Muslim communities as he faces off against Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the Nov. 4 election.

Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, if elected, and has focused on turning out supporters in the South Asian and Arabic communities of the Islamic faith.

The democratic socialist Queens assemblyman opposes lifting the cap to open more charter schools in the city.

The Big Apple currently has some dual language charter schools, such as the Hebrew Language Academy and the Hellenic Charter Schools in Brooklyn and Staten Island that offer Greek language classes.

But Niass said he sends his children to his native Senegal to learn Arabic, and that many of his congregants sacrifice by spending thousands of dollars to do the same.

“I know parents who send their kids to Egypt to learn Arabic. We wouldn’t have to absorb these costs if we had an Arabic charter school,” he said, emphasizing the school would not preach Islam.

Cuomo’s campaign confirmed he would make opening an Arabic charter school a priority.

“On education — when schools are failing, I believe we should close them and replace them with charter schools. I’m a strong believer in charter schools,” Cuomo said during a recent speech at the Ansarudeen Islamic Center.

“I know many oppose them, but when a public school fails generation after generation, and we keep it open anyway, that’s unacceptable,” he said. “If a school has been failing for a prolonged period, shut it down and give a charter school or a specialized school the chance to succeed.”

The Mamdani campaign declined to comment on Cuomo’s pitch for an Arabic charter school.

Meanwhile, Niass swatted away Mamdani’s claim that Cuomo is stoking Islamophobia.

He praised Cuomo for defending the opening of a mosque near Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, when he was state attorney general.

“Cuomo defended my religion. He respects every religion, Niass said. “I don’t believe he’s Islamophobic. I believe that’s a lie.”

Niass also blasted Mamdani for saying “sex work is work” while backing legislation to decriminalize prostitution between consenting adults an assemblyman.

“Prostitution is against Islam,” he told The Post.

As governor, Cuomo approved laws making it easier to open and site charter schools in New York City.

The teachers’ union and critics complain charters siphon funds from traditional public schools and oppose their expansion.

The United Federation of Teachers endorsed Mamdani in the general election after he trounced Cuomo in the Democratic primary.

Charter schools are publicly funded but privately managed by not-for-profit institutions. They typically have a longer school day and year, and the staff are mostly non-union.

There are now 286 charter schools with more than 150,000 students, representing 15% of all public school students.

The alternative schools typically outperform traditional public schools on the state’s standardized math and English exams, particularly in the south Bronx and other low income and disadvantaged communities.