Tech 4 Peace
Has July 14 been declared an official holiday according to the Iraqi Holidays Law?
Due to the large number of inquiries about the upcoming holiday on Sunday, July 14, We would like to clarify the following:
1- The Official Holidays Law No. 12 of 2024, which went into effect on May 27, 2024, after being published in the country's Official Gazette by the Ministry of Justice, did not include July 14 as an official holiday.
2- The law includes the following holidays:
- Every Friday and Saturday
- 1 Muharram: Hijri New Year
- 10 Muharram: Ashura
- 12 Rabi’ al-Awwal: Birth of the Prophet
- 1-3 Shawwal: Eid al-Fitr
- 10-13 Dhu al-Hijjah: Eid al-Adha
- 18 Dhul-Hijjah: Day of Ghadir
- January 1: New Year's Day
- January 6: Iraqi Army Day
- March 21: Nowruz
- May 1: International Workers' Day
- March 16: Anniversary of the Baath crimes (Halabja, Anfal, mass graves, the Shaabani uprising, the killing of scholars and parties)
In addition to these special holidays, there are also important dates for other religions:
1-Christianity: The Birth of Christ, and the Great Eid
2- Sabian: Creation Feast in March, Great Feast in July, Lesser Feast in November, the birth of (Yahya), and one day in May
3- Yazidi: The Feast of Fasting, the Yazidi New Year’s Feast, (September 23-30), the Jummah Feast, and the Summer Arbaeen Feast (July 20-21).
It is reported that during (2021\2022), the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers declared July 14th as an official holiday in commemoration of the founding of the Republic of Iraq. However, in 2023, it was not designated as a holiday since it fell on a Friday.
Regarding the recently circulated document indicating the addition of October 3 and July 14 to the official state holidays, it has not been approved yet and is not included in the holiday law. This was confirmed by a member of the
Parliamentary Legal Committee, Muhammad Al-Khafaji, in a statement to Al-Sumaria News
“No holiday can be added to the official holidays' law voted on by the House of Representatives and approved”.
Al-Khafaji added:
“If the government or the President of the Republic goes to add any holiday to the law, the law must be resubmitted to the House of Representatives for a first and second reading and a vote. Follows the usual legislative process for creating laws, and an amendment cannot be added without Parliament’s vote”.
July 14th: What information do you have about it?
The events date back to 1958 when what they call a "revolution" or "coup" against the monarchy took place, resulting in the end of the Hashemite monarchy in Iraq with the execution of King Faisal II, his Crown Prince Abdul Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri Al-Sa'id.
