Based on a Miqrab AI analysis of 544 X \/ Twitter posts trending in Iraq on June 9, 2025, the primary narratives revolved around intense religious and sectarian discourse, often contrasting Shiite and Sunni practices. A significant portion of the conversation focused on the evolving political landscape in Syria, particularly the actions and image of leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani) and his interactions with Iraqi figures. Additionally, international tensions involving Iran’s nuclear program, domestic Iraqi politics including commemorations of assassinated figures, and commentary on protests in the United States were prominent themes across the platform.<\/p>\n
A highly engaged video shared by Dr. Hussein Al-Safi<\/a> (Post Impact: 100%)<\/strong> depicted a group of men forming a protective circle around Shiite women as they performed the Tawaf ritual in Mecca’s Grand Mosque. The post highlighted this as an act of cooperation, stating, “This is how Shiite women circumambulate… watch how the men created a ring for them to prevent jostling with other men.”<\/em> The same account, Dr. Hussein Al-Safi<\/a> (Post Impact: 10%)<\/strong>, also contrasted religious practices by sharing a video comparing Eid prayers in Egypt, which showed men and women praying together, with prayers in Iraq, where the genders are separated, framing the latter as representative of “true Islam”<\/em> while the former is a return to “the first Jahiliyyah (era of ignorance).”<\/em><\/p>\n A major topic of discussion was the reported meeting in Syria between Iraqi politician Izzat al-Shabandar and Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Muhammad al-Julani). Several accounts, including Haydar<\/a> (Post Impact: 11%)<\/strong> and Yousif Al_Kilaby<\/a> (Post Impact: 10%)<\/strong>, circulated an image from the meeting and claimed that al-Sharaa handed over the former Syrian intelligence archives related to Iraq to al-Shabandar. Al-Kilaby suggested the archives are being sorted “for the purpose of using them for electoral defamation.”<\/em> Other users, like Najeh Abbas Al-Mizan<\/a> (Post Impact: 8%)<\/strong> and Dr. Qusay Shafiq<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong>, questioned the official capacity of al-Shabandar, with Al-Mizan stating he was delivering messages from “Sudani, the little one of Baghdad, to al-Sharaa, the big one of Damascus.”<\/p>\n The public image and lifestyle of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Julani) faced criticism from multiple angles. The account Haydar<\/a> (Post Impact: 26%)<\/strong> shared a lengthy statement attributed to Saleh al-Hamawi, a prominent former leader in Jabhat al-Nusra, who directly refuted claims of austerity made by al-Julani and his wife. Al-Hamawi detailed the luxurious villas and amenities al-Julani enjoyed, stating, “Do not present yourselves as ascetics who lived through the darkest circumstances when the reality is otherwise.”<\/em> In a related post, Sufian Al-Samarrai<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong> described al-Julani’s appearance in Damascus as a staged event, calling it a “blatantly fabricated campaign of propaganda and glorification”<\/em> coordinated by Qatar and Turkey.<\/p>\n Sectarian tensions and criticism of religious practices were prominent themes. Wasan Al-Shaikhli<\/a> (Post Impact: 42%)<\/strong> shared a photo of a Sunni man praying in the Umayyad Mosque and questioned the potential reaction if the roles were reversed, asking, “If a Shiite prayed on a turbah (clay tablet) in the Umayyad Mosque, what would they do to him?”<\/em> Meanwhile, Sufian Al-Samarrai<\/a> (Post Impact: 27%)<\/strong> criticized a Muslim Brotherhood cleric in Turkey for allegedly deceiving followers with a “luminous Chinese toy” he claimed contained a hair of the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Samarrai used the incident to attack the Muslim Brotherhood, stating they “have surpassed the polytheism of the Safavid grave-worshippers.”<\/em><\/p>\n The debate over making Eid al-Ghadir an official holiday in Iraq surfaced with opposing viewpoints. Mahdi Majeed<\/a> (Post Impact: 14%)<\/strong> argued against the holiday, labeling it sectarian and calling for its cancellation. He stated its purpose is for Iraqi Shiites to remind Sunnis that the Prophet Muhammad favored Ali over other caliphs, which he claims promotes a divisive mindset. He asked, “How is it possible to coexist and build a civil state in Iraq with such a barbaric mentality?”<\/em> In contrast, accounts like Abu Drandash Al-Askari<\/a> (Post Impact: 11%)<\/strong> shared celebratory videos with captions like, “He who does not love you, O Ali, is not one of us,”<\/em> reinforcing the holiday’s significance for the Shiite community.<\/p>\n Users commemorated the anniversary of the assassination of Iraqi security analyst Hisham al-Hashimi. Yasser Eljuboori<\/a> (Post Impact: 13%)<\/strong> shared a video of al-Hashimi with the caption, “They assassinated you, and what a great man they assassinated… May God have mercy on you #Hisham_AlHashimi.”<\/em> Similarly, Noor – Um Omar<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong> posted a clip of al-Hashimi’s political analysis from 2019 concerning the situation in Syria and Iran, praising him as a hero and using hashtags such as #Iran_is_the_source_of_terrorism.<\/p>\n Videos of protests and unrest in Los Angeles were shared with varied interpretations. Amir Mousawi<\/a> (Post Impact: 11%)<\/strong> framed the events as ironic, stating, “The #DarknessLovers and beasts of the earth planned for it to be in #ourcountries, but it came out in #Los_Angeles.”<\/em> Conversely, Mujtahid Iraq<\/a> (Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong> blamed “Iran-backed rioters” for burning American flags and raising Mexican flags, calling it a “shame” for any American to accept the “Iranian conspiracy.” Steven Nabil<\/a> (Post Impact: 5%)<\/strong> also reported on the situation, quoting Donald Trump as saying, “Los Angeles looks very bad, bring in the troops!”<\/em><\/p>\n International tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program were a key topic. Liqaa Maki<\/a> (Post Impact: 7%)<\/strong> criticized the Director General of the IAEA for giving an interview to an Israeli newspaper, arguing it exceeds his duties and creates a pretext for a strike against Iran. Zaid Benjamin<\/a> (Post Impact: 4%)<\/strong> reported that former U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his policy of “zero uranium enrichment”<\/em> for Iran, warning the alternative is “blood and destruction.”<\/em> Meanwhile, Mujtahid Iraq<\/a> (Post Impact: 3%)<\/strong> shared a report that Iran threatened to immediately strike Israeli nuclear facilities if its own were attacked.<\/p>\n A narrative critical of governance in Sunni-led countries was advanced by several accounts. Hassan Al-Kaabi<\/a> (Post Impact: 14%)<\/strong> posted an image depicting poverty and commented, “Arab countries overflowing with wealth, ruled by staunch Sunnis, with not a single Shiite and no interference from Iran!”<\/em> This implies that the absence of Shiites or Iranian influence does not guarantee prosperity. In a similar vein, Sheikh Falah Al-Qurishi<\/a> (Post Impact: 9%)<\/strong> shared a comparable image showing impoverished children with the simple caption, “Sunni rule,”<\/em> followed by the rhetorical question, “Isn’t it so?”<\/em><\/p>\n2. Izzat al-Shabandar Meets Syrian Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa<\/h2>\n
3. Scrutiny of Syrian Leader Al-Julani’s Public Image<\/h2>\n
4. Sectarian Critiques and Contrasting Religious Practices<\/h2>\n
5. Controversy Surrounding Eid al-Ghadir Holiday in Iraq<\/h2>\n
6. Commemoration of Assassinated Analyst Hisham al-Hashimi<\/h2>\n
7. Discussion of Protests and Unrest in Los Angeles<\/h2>\n
8. Heightened Rhetoric over Iran’s Nuclear Program<\/h2>\n
9. Critiques of Governance in Sunni-Majority Countries<\/h2>\n
10. Questions Raised Over Conditions for a Life Sentence Prisoner<\/h2>\n