Based on an analysis of 331 Facebook posts trending on December 26, 2025, Miqrab AI found that the most engaging topic was the death of a prominent military figure, announced by his son-in-law, the famous footballer Younis Mahmoud. Other significant conversations included positive news about the safe return of a kidnapped child in Wasit, widespread condemnation of a terrorist attack on a mosque in Homs, Syria, and domestic political maneuvering within the Sunni and Shia blocs to select a new parliament speaker and other key government positions. Social media users also shared stories related to sports, civic pride in clean neighborhoods, and public service announcements regarding salary distributions and warnings about financial fraud.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Death of General Fadhel Ahmed Al-Samarrai

The most impactful story was the announcement of the passing of Lieutenant General Fadhel Ahmed Sabti Al-Samarrai. The news was shared by his son-in-law, Iraqi football star Younis Mahmoud (Post Impact: 100%), who posted a message of mourning and a verse from the Quran. The high engagement reflects Younis Mahmoud’s public profile and the respect for the deceased general. Following the announcement, other pages like Ahdath Erbil (Post Impact: 1%) also extended their condolences to the Al-Sabti family, mourning the loss and wishing the general peace.

2. Kidnapped Child Islam Safely Returns Home

Facebook pages widely celebrated the safe return of a kidnapped child named Islam to her family in the Al-Aziziya district of Wasit province. Khabar Ajeal (Post Impact: 32%) broke the news of her safe arrival at her family’s home following her abduction. The page Baghdad (Post Impact: 6%) also shared the positive update, spreading the news of the successful resolution to what was a distressing event for the community. The high engagement reflects public relief and happiness for the child and her family.

3. Homs Mosque Bombing Draws Iraqi Condemnation

A deadly explosion at the Imam Ali Mosque in Homs, Syria, during Friday prayers, was a major topic of discussion and condemnation. Al-Khuwa Al-Nadhifa (Post Impact: 9%) reported the initial news from the Syrian News Agency, stating that the blast killed five people and injured 21. The attack prompted a strong reaction from cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose statement was shared by The Private Office of Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr (Post Impact: 18%) and Hussam Alhaj (Post Impact: 6%). Al-Sadr described the perpetrators as “shameless sectarian terrorist gangs” and warned that the attack could be “an announcement of the beginning of the sectarian war.” In addition, Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 1%) reported the official condemnation from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, which rejected all forms of terrorism and extremism.

4. Artist Jalal Al-Zein Denies Fabricated Video

A controversy surrounding artist Jalal Al-Zein gained traction after he responded to a circulating video. The page Ahdath Erbil (Post Impact: 11%) posted a clip of the artist stating, “Go easy on me, I am your brother… the video is fabricated and people close to me know my morals.” In a follow-up post, the same page (Post Impact: 9%) reiterated that the video was fake and invoked the religious concept of “ستر” (discretion, or covering for others’ faults), stating, “God loves discretion, and loves those who practice discretion for others.”

5. Spotlight on Clean Neighborhoods in Iraqi Cities

A positive and engaging story focused on civic pride and cleanliness in Iraqi neighborhoods. The Baghdad (Post Impact: 10%) page shared a video of a beautifully maintained street, noting that neighbors compete with each other to arrange their gardens and clean the fronts of their homes. The page asked its followers if they recognized the area in Baghdad. The same video was shared by Mosul – MOSUL (Post Impact: 2%), highlighting a sense of community beautification that resonated with users from different cities.

6. Al-Karkh Club Renames Stadium to Honor Sharar Haider

Sports news pages reported on a decision by the Al-Karkh Sports Club to rename its stadium. According to Al-Khuwa Al-Nadhifa (Post Impact: 3%) and Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 2%), the club’s general assembly voted unanimously to change the name of the “Sahir Ahmed Radhi Stadium” to the “late Sharar Haider Stadium.” This move honors Sharar Haider, a former footballer and Iraqi National Olympic Committee official who passed away previously.

7. Ministry of Finance Works Weekend to Disburse Salaries

Several pages shared updates regarding the disbursement of public sector salaries, a topic of high interest for many Iraqis. Ayoun Al-Iraq (Post Impact: 4%) reported that the Ministry of Finance would have staff working on Friday and Saturday to complete the funding and payment of salaries. Corroborating this, Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 1%) confirmed that the funding for employee and security force salaries would resume on Saturday under the ministry’s direction.

8. Sunni Bloc Reportedly Backs Al-Halbousi for Speaker

Political developments concerning the vacant Parliament Speaker position were a key topic. Both Markaz Al-Iraqi Al-Khabari (Post Impact: 2%) and Iraq 24 (Post Impact: 1%) reported that the Sunni political bloc, or “the Sunni House,” had reached an agreement to nominate Mohammed Al-Halbousi to reclaim the position. The pages noted that an official announcement of this decision was expected to be made on Sunday.

9. Coordination Framework to Meet on Top Govt Posts

Following news of the Sunni bloc’s agreement, pages also reported on upcoming moves by the Shia Coordination Framework. Ahmed Althawaq (Post Impact: 2%) and Min Baghdad (Post Impact: 1%) both announced that the Framework would hold an emergency or extraordinary meeting on Saturday. The purpose of the meeting is reportedly to choose candidates for Prime Minister and the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, signaling that negotiations to form the government and fill key leadership roles are intensifying.

10. Pages Warn Public About Financial Scams and Fraud

A recurring theme was the danger of financial fraud targeting Iraqi citizens. Al-Jazeera – Iraq (Post Impact: 5%) shared a video of a citizen who recorded a fraudulent phone call from scammers pretending to be from Qi Card services in an attempt to steal his personal information. In a similar vein, the Users of Electronic Cards (Post Impact: 1%) page posted a video from a Gulf bank showing victims of fraud, warning Iraqis to protect their card details and not to share them with anyone to avoid falling victim to similar scams.