BAGHDAD — One day after the end of the Eid al-Adha holiday (Sept. 24-27), the Iraqi government issued a decree declaring Sept. 28 as an additional day off. The decision to extend the holiday coincided with a rumor, which circulated in the media and on social networks, of an imminent coup d’etat in Baghdad.
Interestingly, the news of the decree was aired on TV stations after midnight on Sept. 27, and many Iraqis arrived at their jobs not realizing businesses were closed, which further fueled the spread of the rumor of a possible coup.