Based on an analysis of 427 Facebook posts by Miqrab AI on February 12, 2025, the primary narratives in Iraq revolve around political and religious mobilization, alongside sharp criticism of the ruling class. The most engaged-with topic was a call for citizens to sign a pledge of allegiance, indicating a significant movement within certain political-religious circles. This was contrasted by highly viral posts expressing frustration with government officials. Other key themes included updates on the activities of Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al Sudani and cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, news regarding public holidays for the Sha’baniyah pilgrimage, and discussions on socio-economic issues like land rezoning.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Call for Pledges of Allegiance Gains Traction

A call for Iraqis to pledge allegiance by signing and fingerprinting a document has become the most engaging topic on Facebook. The page Wazeer al-Qaid (Post Impact: 100%) announced that the pledge would be open for signatures until the end of the month of Sha’ban. The pledge, directed to Imam al-Hujjah bin al-Hassan, was also promoted by politician Hakim al-Zamili (Post Impact: 5%), who shared his own signed commitment. Commentator Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 2%) also engaged with the topic, asking his followers if they had signed the pledge, indicating widespread awareness of the campaign across different segments of social media.

2. Strong Public Discontent with Iraqi Politicians

A wave of severe criticism against Iraqi politicians and officials is trending, driven by posts from Mohammed Nasser Khalif. In a video with (Post Impact: 87%), the page condemns the country’s leaders, stating that “if they had any honor, they would bury themselves a thousand times,” calling their silence a “disgrace in the face of every politician or official.” Another highly engaged video from the same account (Post Impact: 78%) continues the aggressive rhetoric against what it calls the “failed experiment,” reflecting a deep-seated anger and frustration among a significant portion of the online audience towards the political establishment.

3. Muqtada al-Sadr’s Activities and Statements Shared Widely

The activities and communications of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are a major point of discussion. The Private Office of Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr (Post Impact: 27%) shared a recent post he made on the social media platform “X.” The office also published updates on his “Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous” project (Post Impact: 6%) and released answers to questions posed to him (Post Impact: 9%). These regular updates from his official channels ensure his presence remains strong in the online discourse, keeping his followers informed of his directives and projects.

4. Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s Diplomatic Engagements

The official page of Engineer Mohamed Shia Al Sudani (Post Impact: 37%) highlighted the Prime Minister’s recent diplomatic meetings in Baghdad. Al-Sudani received Jack Lang, President of the Arab World Institute in Paris, to discuss strengthening cultural ties between Iraq and France. They agreed to form a joint committee to organize Iraqi cultural activities in Paris. In a separate meeting, the Prime Minister’s page reported he met with the UN Special Representative in Iraq, Mohammed Al-Hassan, to discuss regional developments and cooperation in assisting the Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian people (Post Impact: 6%).

5. Trump’s Praise for Jordan and Its King Sparks Debate

A message from former U.S. President Donald Trump directed at Jordan has become a topic of conversation in Iraq. The page Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 11%) quoted Trump as saying to the Jordanian people: “You are a very wonderful people… you have a special king, one of the real leaders in the world, you are lucky to have such a leader.” Meanwhile, Iraq Plus Network (Post Impact: 5%) shared a video of the interaction, questioning what Trump did to make the Jordanian king appear in what they described as a “miserable and humiliating state,” suggesting different interpretations of the meeting’s dynamics.

6. Historical Religious Claims by Salem Mashkour

A post by commentator Salem Mashkour (Post Impact: 49%) generated significant engagement with a controversial historical claim. The post’s text simply states, “The Umayyad caliphs did not pray or fast!!!!” This assertion about the religious practices of a historical Islamic dynasty sparked discussion and reactions, highlighting the interest in revisionist historical and religious narratives among Iraqi social media users.

7. Government Converts Agricultural Land and Grants Squatter Rights

News about land use changes is a prominent topic. Al-Khowa Al-Nadifa (Post Impact: 12%) reported that the Ministry of Agriculture announced the conversion of nine agricultural areas in Baghdad into residential zones, listing the specific locations affected. In a related development, Ayun al-Iraq (Post Impact: 13%) announced that approval has been granted to give land ownership to squatters. These two pieces of news combined point to a significant shift in urban planning and land management policies in the capital.

8. Multiple Provinces Announce Holiday for Sha’baniyah Pilgrimage

Several pages announced that various provincial governments have declared Thursday a public holiday to mark the Sha’baniyah pilgrimage. The page Baghdad (Post Impact: 2%) stated that 12 governorates had تعطيل الدوام الرسمي (suspended official work), with the exception of Baghdad itself. Similarly, pages like Min al-Iraq (Post Impact: 2%) and Nafs al-Iraq (Post Impact: 6%) also shared lists of the provinces with holidays, providing timely information for residents across the country.

9. Spanish King’s Cup Football Draw Captures Attention

Sports news, particularly concerning major European football competitions, is trending. The page Al-Khowa Al-Nadifa (Post Impact: 15%) announced the results of the semi-final draw for the Spanish King’s Cup. The post informed followers that Real Madrid will face Real Sociedad, while Barcelona is set to play against Atlético Madrid. This news attracted significant interest from Iraqi football fans who closely follow the fortunes of Spain’s top clubs.

10. Criticisms of Graduates’ Arabic Language Proficiency

Commentator Rusly Al-Maliki – Rusly AlMaliki (Post Impact: 8%) sparked a debate about the quality of education in Iraq by criticizing the Arabic language skills of recent law graduates. In a video post, he sarcastically noted that the graduates from Qadisiyah University must have “studied Arabic at the hands of Abu Ali al-Shaybani.” He directly addressed Minister of Higher Education Naeem Al-Aboudi and the “brilliant generation,” expressing dismay at their language proficiency. A similar post was made on his other page, Rusly Al-Maliki (Post Impact: 2%), indicating his focus on this issue.