Based on an analysis of 409 Facebook posts trending on January 22, 2025, Miqrab AI found that the social media landscape in Iraq was dominated by expressions of grief for fallen security personnel, celebrations of international football victories, and preparations for a major religious pilgrimage in Baghdad. Political discourse was also prominent, focusing on the controversial passage of a general amnesty law and a public feud between two political figures. Additionally, a viral video titled “Ghazwat Bab Al-Sharqi” captured significant attention, alongside a tragic crime story from Ameriyah that was shared across numerous community pages.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Mourning Fallen Security Personnel

A significant trend across Facebook was the mourning of Iraqi security forces members who lost their lives. Pages such as Support for Iraqi Security Forces (Post Impact: 29%) and Maher Mouhi::Voice of the Homeland’s Protectors (Post Impact: 20%) shared emotional videos commemorating the deceased. In particular, the death of Major Hisham Hassan was widely circulated, with posts featuring his brother’s lament, “Oh my brother, my lion, my brother, son of my mother.” Additionally, the Maher Mouhi (Post Impact: 22%) page also announced the death of Star Jabbar Issa Al-Fraiji from the 20th Infantry Division. These posts collectively reflect a strong sentiment of sorrow and respect for the sacrifices made by security personnel.

2. Real Madrid’s Decisive Champions League Victory

Sports pages and general news outlets widely celebrated Real Madrid’s commanding 5-1 victory over Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League. The Clean Brotherhood (Post Impact: 22%) and Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 8%) reported that the team “swept” Salzburg and secured its qualification for the round of 16 playoffs. The sentiment was echoed by pages like Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 4%), who called it a “royal quintet that draws a smile on the faces of its fans everywhere,” highlighting the impressive performance of the team’s offense and midfield.

3. Preparations for Imam al-Kadhim Pilgrimage in Baghdad

Multiple pages reported on the preparations for the upcoming anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, a major religious event in Baghdad. The Iraqi News Center (Post Impact: 12%) and Eyes of Iraq (Post Impact: 7%) shared images of the new banners of the Imamayn al-Jawadayn being raised over the shrine in Kadhimiya. In conjunction with the event, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers (Post Impact: 7%) announced a public holiday in Baghdad on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Pages like Baghdad Traffic (Post Impact: 3%) also informed the public of road closures to accommodate the pilgrims.

4. Video Titled “Raid of Bab Al-Sharqi” Goes Viral

A video titled “Ghazwat Bab Al-Sharqi” (Raid of Bab Al-Sharqi), shared by the page Dr. Ali Alkaissi (Post Impact: 100%), garnered the highest engagement rate among all analyzed posts. The post itself contains no descriptive text beyond the title, which suggests a raid or significant confrontation in the Bab Al-Sharqi area of Baghdad. The exceptional post impact rate indicates that the video’s content resonated massively with the Iraqi audience, becoming a top point of discussion on the platform, even without accompanying commentary from the page.

5. MP Mustafa Sanad’s Challenge to Khamis al-Khanjar

A political confrontation between Member of Parliament Mustafa Sanad and political leader Khamis al-Khanjar trended on Facebook. The page The Clean Brotherhood (Post Impact: 13%) reported on the feud, stating that Sanad directed a “fiery message” to al-Khanjar, vowing to “work to end your political existence.” This statement was reportedly in response to recent remarks made by al-Khanjar. The personal page of Mustafa Sanad (Post Impact: 15%) also shared a video clip related to the event, prompting his followers to consider their position on the matter, indicating a direct engagement with the public on this political dispute.

6. Prime Minister Sudani’s Official Engagements

The activities of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani were featured in several posts from official government pages. The Prime Minister’s official page, Engineer Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (Post Impact: 16%), reported on chairing a meeting for the strategic Development Road project with consulting firm Oliver Wyman. The Prime Minister’s Media Office (Post Impact: 4%) also covered his leadership of the Ministerial Council for National Security meeting. On a more personal level, the Why Network? (Post Impact: 3%) shared a video of the Prime Minister sponsoring a simple porter from the Shorja market for a housing loan after the man was unable to find a guarantor.

7. Public Outrage Over Murder of Ahmed Al-Akidi in Ameriyah

A tragic crime story from the Ameriyah district of Baghdad was widely shared across multiple news and community pages, sparking public discussion. According to pages like Anbar, My Province (Post Impact: 4%) and Breaking News (Post Impact: 4%), a young man named Ahmed Al-Akidi was killed after being attacked by a large group of approximately 30 people. The pages report that the altercation began when Al-Akidi intervened to defend his sister-in-law from harassment by the group. The story was also covered by From Iraq (Post Impact: 2%), which described him as being killed unjustly while defending his family’s honor.

8. Parliament Passes General Amnesty Law

The Iraqi Parliament’s passage of a general amnesty law was a key political topic. The official Iraqi Parliament (Post Impact: 2%) page shared a video of the vote. Following the session, Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani met with the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zidan, to discuss the implementation mechanism, as reported by the parliament’s page (Post Impact: 1%). The law’s passage was not without controversy, as a post from Breaking News (Post Impact: 1%) quoted a State of Law MP who blamed the “chaos” in the session for the outcome but stated that passing the law was necessary to maintain political “trust.”

9. Chaldean Patriarchate Criticizes Alcohol Ban

A statement from the Chaldean Patriarchate regarding a ban on alcoholic beverages drew significant attention. The page The Clean Brotherhood (Post Impact: 23%) reported that the Patriarchate views the ban as a violation of personal freedom. The post also attributed a quote to Cardinal Sako, who allegedly stated that “alcoholic beverages are part of table etiquette.” The page further summarized the Patriarchate’s position as viewing the ban as an impractical approach that could encourage addiction to prohibited substances.

10. Social Commentary on Unnatural Cosmetic Surgery Trends

A post from Set Ashwaq, Mother of the Law Student (Post Impact: 16%) discussing cosmetic surgery trends gained considerable traction. The author expresses a longing for natural beauty, criticizing the prevalence of exaggerated procedures such as overly white teeth, lip fillers, and stylized eyebrows. The post laments that excessive cosmetic work is “wasting facial features” and making many people look the same, comparing the trend to characters in a Korean drama. This commentary on social beauty standards clearly resonated with a segment of the Facebook audience.