Mishaan al-Khazraji: The Iraqi Official Who Divided the Sunnis and Ruined Their Eid for Iran’s Sake

For days during Eid, Mishaan al-Khazraji—the head of Iraq’s Sunni Endowment—dominated headlines and social media after sparking what became known as the “crescent crisis” among Iraqi Sunnis. The controversy triggered a wave of public and political calls for his dismissal.

The Sunni community found itself split over the date of Eid: some broke their fast on March 30, 2025, while others completed the full 30 days of Ramadan and celebrated the next day. The division sowed confusion and provoked heated disputes within the community, even leading to public criticism of senior religious scholars.

The Man Behind the Rift

The uproar prompted Sheikh Ahmed Hassan al-Taha, Iraq’s top Sunni cleric and head of al-Fiqhi Council, to speak out during his Eid sermon on March 31. He said the chaos was the result of interference from a government figure stepping far outside his domain, turning a religious matter into a political issue.

Al-Taha criticized the Sunni Endowment’s leadership for its lack of neutrality and discretion, accusing it of overstepping its administrative boundaries and stirring unnecessary confusion.

He revealed that al-Khazraji had pressured the official moon-sighting committee as early as Thursday, March 27, insisting that Monday, March 31, be declared the first day of Eid and that Ramadan be completed as 30 days—an unusual and inappropriate move.

Iraq’s leading Sunni scholar also questioned al-Khazraji’s rush to announce the decision before the fast was even broken, and his insistence on taking the stage for the official declaration.

Al-Taha firmly rejected the Sunni Endowment’s interference in religious rulings, calling the move an unjustifiable precedent and a political intrusion that only deepened the crisis. He urged that no future pressure be placed on the moon-sighting committee and called for a return to proper religious procedure.

In the wake of the controversy, a source speaking to Al-Estiklal on condition of anonymity revealed that al-Khazraji retaliated against the Sunni religious leadership by removing two key members of the official moon-sighting committee—Abdul Wahab al-Taha and Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abdul Jabbar—both affiliated with al-Fiqhi Council. The move was seen as a direct response to the stance taken by Iraq’s top Sunni cleric.

Sheikh Aqeel al-Fahdawi, imam and preacher of al-Mustafa Mosque in Baghdad, announced on Facebook that he had been punished by the Sunni Endowment. He was removed from his post and reassigned after allowing his mosque to open for Eid prayers on Sunday, March 30.

Baghdad Today reported on April 2 that “the wave of punitive measures continues,” claiming that Sheikh Moyed Al-Mashhdani had been dismissed from delivering sermons at the Muhammed al-Ameen Mosque in Baghdad for the same reason. However, al-Mashhadani later appeared in a video denying the report.

Amid growing speculation, the Sunni Endowment issued a statement on April 2 denying that any official orders had been given to remove Sheikh Aqeel al-Fahdawi or Sheikh Moyed Al-Mashhdani from their posts. The statement, backed by a formal document, was widely shared by local media.

But the source speaking to Al-Estiklal insisted that verbal dismissal orders had indeed been issued. He added that once the story leaked to the press, pressure mounted on the Endowment, prompting al-Khazraji to backtrack on the decisions.

‘A Betrayal of Trust’

In light of the “crescent crisis,” activists and politicians have called for the dismissal of Mishaan al-Khazraji from his post as head of the Sunni Endowment, accusing him of betraying the trust placed in him and bowing to pressure from the government—specifically from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.

Former Iraqi MP Mashan al-Jabouri didn’t mince words. In a post on X dated March 29, he said, “What the head of the Sunni Endowment, Mishaan al-Khazraji, did is a clear betrayal of the trust he was given.”

Al-Jabouri pointed out that al-Khazraji had initially announced Sunday as the first day of Eid—aligning with most Islamic countries—only to reverse course within the hour, declaring Monday instead. The sudden shift, he claimed, was made to appease the deep state loyal to Iran.

Al-Jabouri didn’t stop there. He urged Iraq’s Sunni community to reject what he called a “politicized announcement” and to celebrate Eid in unity with the broader Islamic world. “This humiliating reversal didn’t just rob Sunnis of their celebration—it stripped them of the basic right to declare their Eid,” he said. “This Endowment doesn’t represent us. And this president is nothing like us.”

Al-Jabouri accused al-Khazraji of handing over valuable land to political factions, squandering Sunni endowments, and betraying a legacy entrusted to him. “The Sunni community will never forgive him for this betrayal—or for sowing division during Eid for the first time in our long history.”

Addressing al-Khazraji directly, he added: “You sold your faith cheap, caught between bribes and threats—all for a chair cursed by whoever sits in it. You’ve made your choice, and now we’ve made ours.”

MP Mahmood Alqiesi also placed full blame on al-Khazraji for splitting families between those fasting and those feasting, shuttering mosques, and disrupting Eid prayers. “Responsibility for keeping this man in such a sensitive religious position now falls on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani,” he posted on X.

He went on to announce that the Sunni Azm Party bloc has disavowed al-Khazraji, demanding his immediate removal and a public apology to Iraq’s Sunni community.

Former MP Haider al-Mulla advised al-Khazraji to resign, saying the division he sparked stemmed from poor handling of a matter that has long been settled for centuries.

“Your resignation would help mend the rift and prevent this from becoming a dangerous precedent in the future.”

Khames Khanjar, head of the Sunni al-Siyada Alliance, called for holding al-Khazraji accountable for the Shawwal crescent controversy, the closure of mosques on Eid, and the threats made against imams and preachers who defied the official order. He voiced his demands in a March 31 post on X.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that Mohamed al-Halbousi, leader of the Sunni Progress Party (Taqaddum), is backing al-Khazraji—reportedly as part of a feud with the Iraqi al-Fiqhi Council, the country’s highest Sunni religious authority. Halbousi has often dismissed the council in the media as an “Ikhwani” (Muslim Brotherhood) body and refuses to recognize it as a legitimate religious reference.

Al-Sudani’s Man

After the Eid crescent controversy, many Iraqis accused Sunni Endowment chief Meshaan al-Khazraji of betraying his community and siding with the Shiite Coordination Framework to extend his soon-to-expire term.

Al-Khazraji faced sharp backlash on social media, accused of compromising Sunni rights and yielding to political pressure from Shiite leadership. Demands for his removal reverberated across Sunni circles, with dozens of lawmakers and political figures holding him responsible for fueling division by aligning Eid with the Shiite religious authority.

Activists also recirculated a video showing al-Khazraji kissing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s head during a recent visit to the Great Imam Mosque—seen by many as a symbol of submission to political power.

Meshaan al-Khazraji, 60, has led the Sunni Endowment Office since December 8, 2022, following a series of prior government roles.

He holds a PhD in Islamic Sciences with a focus on Hadith, as well as a master’s degree in Sharia—both from the University of Baghdad.

Before taking over as head of the Sunni Endowment, al-Khazraji served as dean of al-Imam al-Azam University, a role he initially held in an acting capacity. He also worked as an advisor to the president of the Sunni Endowment.

Earlier in his career, he was director of the office of Iraq’s Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs from 1993 to 1997, then led the Iraqi Hajj mission from 1998 to 2003.