Shabbat in Iraq

From Arutz Sheva:

The Iraqi government’s decision to make Saturday a day off has sparked much protest as Iraqis object to the observance of what they call “the Zionist holiday.”

The Iraqi government decided last week that in order to make up for the additional day off, the traditional six-hour Iraqi workday would be extended.

Many Iraqis went to work on Saturday anyway, saying they did not want to rest on the day when the Jews rest. They are demanding that the additional day off be Thursday instead.A statement released by the student union at Baghdad’s Mustansariyah University described the government order as forcing “the Zionist holiday” upon Iraqis.

The statement also said the decision had been made by an interim Iraqi government, and not the permanent one. "We declare a general strike in the University of Mustansariyah to reject this decision and any decision aimed at depriving Iraqis of their identity," the statement said.

In Samarra, one of the four Islamic holy cities, almost 80 miles north of Baghdad, a group of armed men forced the Mutawakal high school to open, threatening to kill the school’s teachers if they took the day off.

Students chanting "We don't want Saturday, it's a Jewish holiday" marched through the town of Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad.

This is interesting coming smack between 2 Parshiot that talk about Shabbat and the punishment of not keeping it.
Living in the USA, do you wish to protest getting off on Sunday? I never heard people saying, "I'd rather get a day off on Thursday and work on Sunday". Did you? (Well, maybe Friday - especially winter time.)