Iraqi Parliament session adjourned amid Christian representatives’ opposition to holiday law

BAGHDAD — The Presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives adjourned the recent parliamentary session due to opposition from Christian representatives over the new holiday law, which failed to include Christian holidays.

Representatives of the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian, and broader Christian communities, opposed the law, emphasizing the exclusion of Christmas from the list of official holidays. They stressed the importance of designating Christmas Day as a national holiday, not just for Christians but for the entire country.

The proposed holiday law includes approximately 11 official holidays per year, in addition to regular public holidays such as Fridays and Saturdays. The law also grants the Council of Ministers the authority to cancel the Saturday holiday when deemed necessary.