Based on an analysis of 388 Facebook posts trending on January 11, 2025, Miqrab AI found that conversations in Iraq were dominated by security, culture, and international news. The top story with the highest engagement was the foiling of a bombing attempt at the Sayyida Zainab shrine in Syria, which sparked widespread relief and commentary. Domestically, there was a significant outpouring of grief over the death of Muhammad al-Khashali, the owner of Baghdad’s iconic Shahbandar Cafe, who was remembered as a symbol of cultural resilience. Other major topics included reactions to the California wildfires, which prompted both serious and sarcastic comparisons to the situation in Iraq, and posts from political figures like Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani and MP Mustafa Sanad regarding their governmental activities.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Foiled Bombing at Sayyida Zainab Shrine in Syria

Multiple Iraqi pages reported on the foiling of a bombing attempt at the Sayyida Zainab shrine near Damascus, Syria. Al-Khwa Al-Nazifa (Post Impact: 100%) and Markaz al-‘Iraqi al-Khabari (Post Impact: 7%) shared the news of the thwarted attack. The page Khabar ‘Ajil (Post Impact: 7%), quoting Syrian General Intelligence, attributed the attempt to the Islamic State and stated that the perpetrators were arrested. Page Ahmed AlHamdani (Post Impact: 13%) credited “Al-Sharaa’s intelligence” with successfully averting the attack and preventing a potential civil war, contrasting it with past security failures in Iraq.

2. Death of Shahbandar Cafe Owner Muhammad al-Khashali

There was a widespread expression of mourning for the passing of Haj Muhammad al-Khashali, the owner of the historic Shahbandar Cafe on Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad. Pages like Baghdad (Post Impact: 51%) and ‘Aziz Nasser (Post Impact: 46%) described him as a cultural and literary pillar of the city. Many posts, including one from Prime Minister Al-Muhannis Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani (Post Impact: 17%), highlighted his status as a symbol of patience and sacrifice, as he was the “father of the martyrs of Mutanabbi,” having lost several sons in the 2007 bombing that targeted the street. Several pages, including Baghdad (Post Impact: 20%) and Rusly Al-Maliki – Rusli al-Maliki (Post Impact: 7%), noted that the cafe had closed its doors in mourning.

3. California Wildfires and Iraqi Commentary

The ongoing wildfires in California were a major topic of discussion. Telescope Iraq (Post Impact: 37%) provided updates, stating that the fires were only 15% contained and had reached the city of Brentwood. The news prompted local commentary, with MP Mustafa Sanad (Post Impact: 36%) sarcastically remarking, “The benefit of a barren country is that it doesn’t have fires.” Additionally, Tech 4 Peace (Post Impact: 9%) debunked a circulating video allegedly showing Los Angeles after the fires, confirming it was generated by artificial intelligence.

4. Appreciation Post for Veteran Iraqi Actresses

A highly engaged post by the Baghdad (Post Impact: 51%) page paid tribute to a group of veteran Iraqi actresses. The post featured a photo of Iqbal Naim, Awatif Naim, Asya Kamal, and Samar Muhammad, describing them as being like a “bouquet of flowers” and celebrating them as “artists of meaningful works.” This single post garnered significant positive attention, highlighting public appreciation for established figures in Iraqi arts and culture.

5. MP Mustafa Sanad Meets with Finance Minister

MP Mustafa Sanad (Post Impact: 51%) shared that he and other officials hosted the Minister of Finance. In his post, which received high engagement, Sanad announced that an agreement was reached among all parties present. He summarized the outcome of the meeting by stating, “everyone agreed to reassure the street,” suggesting a political consensus aimed at calming public concerns, likely related to economic or financial matters.

6. PM Al-Sudani Promotes Government Service Projects

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani’s activities were featured in several posts from his official page and the Prime Minister’s Media Office. According to Al-Muhannis Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani (Post Impact: 22%) and the Al-Maktab al-‘Ilami li-Ra’is al-Wuzara’ al-‘Iraqi (Post Impact: 7%), the Prime Minister met with sheikhs and notables from underserved neighborhoods in eastern Baghdad. The focus of the meeting was to review the work of the government’s service and engineering team, which has been establishing water and sewage networks, paving roads, building schools, and improving infrastructure in these areas. The posts emphasize the government’s commitment to tangible service delivery for citizens.

7. Nationalist Sentiment Praising the Iraqi Soldier

A nationalist narrative praising the Iraqi military was promoted by two affiliated pages. Both Tele Iraq (Post Impact: 21%) and Tele Iraq – Media (Post Impact: 20%) shared identical posts featuring an image of a soldier. The accompanying text conveyed a clear patriotic message, stating, “The Iraqi soldier defends the homeland in the face of foreign ambitions.” This coordinated messaging aimed to bolster support and pride in the national armed forces.

8. Mosul Farmer Thanks God for Rain

A heartwarming human-interest story from Mosul circulated on social media, showing a young man’s reaction to rainfall. The pages Mosul – MOSUL (Post Impact: 14%) and Bab Al-Toob (Post Impact: 11%) shared a video of a young farmer in Mosul. Overjoyed by the rain falling on his tilled land, he is seen prostrating on the wet soil in a gesture of gratitude to God. The posts highlighted this simple and powerful expression of faith and relief.

9. Iraqi Coach Adnan Hamad’s Team Suffers Heavy Defeat

A sports-related story focused on the performance of Iraqi coach Adnan Hamad in the Saudi football league. The pages Hukm Al-‘Awa’il (Post Impact: 13%) and Tahshish Siyasi (Post Impact: 4%) both reported that Al-Orobah FC, the Saudi club managed by Hamad, suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat against Al-Hilal. The news was shared without extensive commentary, simply noting the result of the match under the leadership of the well-known Iraqi coach.

10. New Supervisor Appointed at Sayyida Zainab Shrine

Related to the security news from Syria, pages also discussed a new leadership appointment at the Sayyida Zainab shrine. The page Tura’if al-‘Alam bi-‘Uyun ‘Iraqiyya (Post Impact: 31%) reported that Ahmad al-Sharaa had appointed “Muawiya Muhammad al-Shami,” also known as Abu Yazid, as the new supervisor for the shrine. This development was also alluded to by Ahmed AlHamdani (Post Impact: 13%), who spoke of “Al-Sharaa’s intelligence,” indicating a shift in control and management at the important religious site.