Based on an analysis of 426 posts by Miqrab AI, Facebook conversations in Iraq on February 10, 2025, were dominated by criticism of government spending and priorities, particularly a controversial 99-billion-dinar amusement park project in Basra, which sparked calls for fairness. Significant attention was also given to regional politics, with posts covering statements from Syrian transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa about his past imprisonment in Iraq and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimatum regarding the conflict in Gaza. On the domestic front, the security situation was highlighted by the mourning of a Saraya al-Salam fighter killed in Samarra, while political discourse focused on the contentious general amnesty law. Positive developments included initiatives for solar energy in Ninewa and at the national level. The continued influence of Muqtada al-Sadr was evident through his social and religious guidance, while lighter trends included celebrity news and discussions about a severe cold wave hitting the country.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Outcry Over Basra Amusement Park Project

A video calling for “a little fairness” from officials circulated widely, driving a narrative of public frustration over government spending priorities. The page The Governmental Palace (Post Impact: 100%) shared the viral clip, which was also posted by One Homeland (Post Impact: 4%). This sentiment was directly linked to news shared by Haider al-Hamdani (Post Impact: 34%) about the construction of an amusement park in the Basra desert at a cost of 99 billion dinars. The criticism was amplified by Ammar al-Hilfi (Post Impact: 4%), who shared a video showing the Prime Minister’s response to Haider al-Hamdani’s report on what he termed the “sacred garden” in Basra.

2. Ahmed al-Sharaa on His Past Imprisonment in Iraq

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the Syrian Transitional Administration, was a major topic of discussion following his statements about his time in Iraqi prisons. The Clean Brotherhood (Post Impact: 30%) reported that al-Sharaa said he was released from Iraqi prisons just two days before the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011 and decided then not to repeat Iraq’s experience with sectarian wars. The page Yalla (Post Impact: 12%) provided more details from a podcast, noting al-Sharaa was held in Abu Ghraib, Bucca, Cropper, and Taji prisons. Yalla also quoted him stating that his experience contributed to his political maturity and his decision to focus on confronting the Syrian regime rather than engaging in sectarian conflicts.

3. Martyrdom of Saraya al-Salam Fighter Mohammed Thamer

The death of soldier Mohammed Thamer Nasser al-Shaibani in the Samarra operations sector was widely mourned. The page Maher Mohi:: Voice of the Nation’s Protectors (Post Impact: 23%) shared a video of the funeral procession for the “hero martyr.” Similarly, Saraya al-Salam – Central Media Directorate (Post Impact: 15%) officially announced his martyrdom, stating he was “defending his creed, his sanctities, and his homeland” and following in the footsteps of fighters whose “sacred blood irrigated the land of Iraq.”

4. Push for Renewable Energy in Ninewa and Nationally

There was significant positive coverage of government initiatives to promote solar power as an alternative to generators. The Clean Brotherhood (Post Impact: 17%) and Iraqis Only – Iraqeen W Bas (Post Impact: 10%) both reported that Ninewa province is launching an initiative to grant interest-free loans of up to 30 million dinars for solar panel installation. This local effort was framed within a broader national strategy, as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s official page, Engineer Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Post Impact: 8%), and the Prime Minister of Iraq’s Media Office (Post Impact: 5%), posted about his meeting with the National Renewable Energy Team to discuss finding “quick and smart solutions” to support the national grid.

5. Muqtada al-Sadr’s Social and Religious Guidance

The continuing influence of Muqtada al-Sadr was highlighted through several posts covering his activities and statements. His official office, The Private Office of His Eminence Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr (Post Impact: 15%), published a series of questions and answers from him, and in another post (Post Impact: 10%), noted he was briefed on the work of a committee assisting the families of martyrs. The page Mohammed Nasser Khalif Mohammed Nasser Khalif (Post Impact: 7%) shared a video of the “Martyr of Friday” procession being hosted by al-Sadr at his home in Hanana. His influence on social norms was also noted by Yalla (Post Impact: 4%), which reported his response to questions about graduation parties, describing them as an “imitation of the West.”

6. Trump’s Statements on Israel-Gaza Conflict

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statements on the Middle East drew attention from Iraqi social media pages. Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 21%) reported on an ultimatum from Trump, who allegedly stated that if all Israeli hostages are not released by Saturday, the ceasefire agreement should be canceled and to “make hell open up.” In a related post, Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 5%) also noted the arrival of King Abdullah of Jordan in the United States for a critical meeting with Trump to discuss the future of Gaza after the war.

7. Social Media Buzz Around Blogger Huda Adel’s Henna Party

The henna party of blogger Huda Adel and Yousef Mazen generated significant buzz across multiple social media pages. Girls’ Poetry (Post Impact: 14%) shared a video of her entrance at the event. Other pages, including Iraq’s Pulse (Post Impact: 5%) and Kliche (Post Impact: 4%), also posted videos and photos from the celebration, with commentators noting how beautiful she looked and praising her “long and modest” attire.

8. Controversy Over the General Amnesty Law

A legal decision regarding the general amnesty law sparked political debate on Facebook. The Clean Brotherhood (Post Impact: 15%) reported that the Court of Cassation nullified a Federal Court order concerning three laws, including the general amnesty law. This development was met with caution from political figures, as reported by Urgent News (Post Impact: 4%), which quoted former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki questioning the consequences of releasing terrorists randomly. He stated, “What will the families of the martyrs say… a state not ruled by law is stormed by chaos.”

9. Extreme Cold Weather Sweeps Across Iraq

A wave of extremely cold weather across parts of Iraq was a prominent topic. Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 13%) highlighted the severe conditions, noting that the temperature in the Haji Omran area of Erbil had dropped to -14 degrees Celsius. Pages also shared weather forecasts for the coming days. Diyala TV (Post Impact: 4%) reported that a weather forecaster expects rain, snow, and a sharp drop in temperatures next week. Looking further ahead, Iraq’s Breath (Post Impact: 4%) shared a forecast of a polar low hitting Iraq at the beginning of Ramadan, with expectations of heavy snowfall during the month.

10. Updates on Infrastructure and Housing Projects

Several pages shared updates on government-led infrastructure and housing projects. Maher Mohi:: Voice of the Nation’s Protectors (Post Impact: 7%) posted a video showing the joy of security personnel receiving plots of land in the “Madinat al-Forsan” (City of Knights) residential complex, with one person saying, “Now I feel I have a homeland.” The same account later shared a link for beneficiaries to locate their plots (Post Impact: 6%). Meanwhile, Iraq Projects (Post Impact: 2%) listed numerous completed bridge projects aimed at reducing traffic congestion in Baghdad and shared a separate video (Post Impact: 2%) showing the al-Sarrafiya bridge nearing its final stages.