Iraq Officially Recognizes Ashura, Shia Islam's Holiest Commemoration

Iraq's Council of Ministers declared June 25, 2026 a national holiday marking Ashura, the 680 CE death of Imam Hussein at Karbala—the most important date in the Shia liturgical calendar. The decision formally ends decades of state restrictions on religious observance under Ba'athist rule. Baghdad now coordinates security for the annual pilgrimage to Karbala, which draws tens of millions, signaling a fundamental shift in how the Shia-majority state treats its dominant faith.