Iraq: The government has announced a national holiday for the Day of Ashura of Muharram

[92048] Iraq: The government has announced a national holiday for the Day of Ashura of Muharram

The Iraqi government announces a holiday for Ashura

The Iraqi government has officially announced the suspension of all government offices and institutions in the country for this coming Thursday, June 25, 2026. The decision was made as a measure to mark the Day of Ashura (the tenth day of the month of Muharram), which serves as the memorial day for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein ibn Ali.

The report, which has received widespread circulation in Iraqi media outlets, was confirmed by a variety of official and unofficial sources. According to reports in the Iraqi News Agency (INA) and Al-Sabah Al-Iraqiya Newspaper, this is a sweeping administrative decision covering all state institutions.

Additional sources online, including Nimar Ibn Al-Anbar and the Official Iraqi Students Channel, confirmed the details of the decision. In a report by Ultra Iraq, the decision was quoted in full: "The Council of Ministers decides to suspend official work in all government ministries and institutions on Thursday, June 25, coinciding with the observance of the Day of Ashura of Muharram al-Haram, the memorial day for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein".

It should be noted that channels such as Rudaw Arabic and Santer Al-Sads emphasized in their publications the religious nature of the day, using terms that underscore the importance of the event for the Shiite community in the country and the Islamic world.