Multiple Iraqi provinces have declared official holidays for the martyrdom of Imam Ali and the anniversary of Baathist regime crimes, while the Ministry of Education pushes back against rumors of security-related school suspensions.
The General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council of Ministers and various provincial governments have announced a series of official administrative and educational holidays spanning from March 10 to March 16, 2026. While most closures are tied to religious or historical observances, officials also addressed mounting rumors regarding security-related shutdowns amidst the ongoing regional conflict.
The وزارة التربية العراقية (Iraqi Ministry of Education) and the popular student news channel قناة طلاب العراق الرسمية reported that the General Secretariat has decreed Monday, March 16, 2026, a nationwide holiday. According to the official decree, the closure coincides with the anniversary of the "crimes committed by the Saddamist Baathist regime against the sons of the Iraqi people," explicitly listing the Halabja and Anfal massacres, mass graves, the Shaaban uprising, and the assassination of scientists.
Simultaneously, widespread regional closures were announced for Wednesday, March 11, to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Ali. Iraqi educational news aggregator نيمار ابن الانبار listed numerous affected provinces, including Dhi Qar, Diwaniya, Kirkuk, Muthanna, Diyala, Basra, Babil, and specific districts in Salah al-Din. Several regions, including the Kurdistan Region, Najaf, and Maysan, extended their holidays through Thursday, March 12. Student advocacy channel سنتر السادس | Al-Santer called upon the Ministry of Education to penalize private schools in Karbala that refused to observe the locally mandated closures.
Amid heightened regional instability—which has recently included widespread riots against US missions in Iraq following the outbreak of a major Middle Eastern war—the Ministry of Education issued a firm directive regarding school operations.
As reported by multiple channels, the Ministry stated that the "security situation does not warrant suspending school hours in Baghdad and other provinces." Educational channel نيمار ابن الانبار || iraqedu relayed official confirmation that the academic year is proceeding according to scheduled timings "without advancement or delay."Despite the nationwide assurances, localized security incidents have impacted schedules. قناة طلاب العراق الرسمية noted that Wasit province explicitly suspended official hours on Thursday following an "attack that targeted the Suwayra district." Other local channels, such as ابن بغداد, واحد عراق, نايا - NAYA, وكالة الأنباء العراقية (واع), and شبكة أبن الغربية التعليمية, circulated continuous updates as individual provinces formalized their varying holiday schedules.
The sources primarily consist of Iraqi educational and student news channels that aggregate official government and provincial decrees. The terminology regarding the Baathist regime's crimes is translated directly from the official General Secretariat statement to preserve the government's framing. The mention of the Wasit attack in Suwayra reflects localized security incidents amid the broader regional conflict outlined in the background context.