After sectarian and political disputes erupted over the past two weeks regarding the demand to declare “Eid al-Ghadir” an official holiday, the parliament voted on Wednesday to pass the proposed law on official holidays in the country, including the “Eid al-Ghadir” holiday. Meanwhile, the leader of the Shia National Current, Muqtada al-Sadr, directed followers to go to mosques and raise the “Ghadir flag.”
A correspondent for “Al-Aalem Al-Jadeed” reported that “the House of Representatives voted on the article concerning the law on official holidays, including ‘Eid al-Ghadir,’ during the 26th session of the fifth electoral cycle in the third legislative year/first legislative term, attended by 167 deputies.”
The parliament also voted on the proposed second amendment to the Law of the Independent High Electoral Commission No. 31 of 2019.
In the same session, the council decided to postpone the vote on the draft law to return properties to their owners affected by certain decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council.
The official holidays law in Iraq includes about 11 days per year, in addition to the general official holidays on Fridays and Saturdays, with the cabinet having the authority to cancel the Saturday holiday if necessary.
In this context, Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives Mohsen Al-Mandalawi stated in a press release received by “Al-Aalem Al-Jadeed” that “the official holidays law aims to highlight occasions related to the life and feelings of the Iraqi people and organize official holidays in the country. The law covers all holidays, occasions, and festivals.”
He explained that “the presidency of the House of Representatives has given special attention to the official holidays law and ensured that the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah is a public holiday due to the symbolic significance of ‘Eid al-Ghadir’ for the majority of Iraqis and the esteemed position of Imam Ali among Muslims.”
The law includes holidays on: Fridays and Saturdays each week, 1 Muharram, 10 Muharram, 12 Rabi’ al-Awwal, (1-3) Shawwal for Eid al-Fitr, (10-13) Dhu al-Hijjah for Eid al-Adha, 18 Dhu al-Hijjah for Eid al-Ghadir, January 1 for New Year’s Day, January 6 for Army Day, March 21 for Nowruz, and May 1 for International Workers’ Day.
Following the vote, parliament members decided to add a new holiday on March 16 (for the crimes of the Baath and the Anfal campaign and the attack on Halabja).
Muqtada al-Sadr directed followers to go to mosques and raise the “Ghadir flag” after the House of Representatives completed the vote on the official holidays law.
In a post on “X,” al-Sadr stated, “By God’s grace and through the efforts of the people, followers of the Imam Ja’afari sect, and all fair-minded Sunnis, as well as our brothers of other religions, Kurds, and other ethnicities, the Iraqi parliament members have voted to make ‘Eid al-Ghadir’ a national Iraqi holiday.”
He added, “It is now incumbent upon all Iraqis, especially members of the Shia National Current, to go to mosques, raise the Ghadir flag, wear green sashes, pray two rak’ahs in thanks to God, and proclaim the three testimonies from the minarets: ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Ali is the Wali of Allah.'”
He continued, “Do this at the nearest mosque, without infringing on others or the mosque officials. If asked to leave, then leave. Absolutely no firing of guns is permitted.”
The proposal to establish this holiday was initially made by the leader of the Sadrist Movement, who wrote in April on the platform “X” that “by order of the people and the moderate national majority from all sects, the House of Representatives must enact a law to make the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, Eid al-Ghadir, an official public holiday for all Iraqis, regardless of their affiliations and beliefs.”
The debate around approving this holiday was accompanied by Sunni calls to declare the anniversary of the Day of Saqifah as an official holiday in opposition, stoking sectarian tensions within Iraqi society after years of their dormancy.
According to Shia tradition, the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah marks the day when Prophet Muhammad delivered a sermon at Ghadir Khumm in the tenth year of the Hijra, appointing Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor.
