A group of American religious leaders called this week for an end to U.N. sanctions against Iraq and said a U.S.-British plan to amend them would do little to alleviate the Iraqi people's suffering.

By CHERYL WITTENAUER, Associated Press Writer

Pope John Paul II, beatified Sister Rafqa, a 19th-century Maronite Catholic nun from Lebanon, back in 1985. He bestowed sainthood on her with four others at the Vatican this Sunday.

AP 9th, June, 2001

After 17 years in the Emirates,a British preacher talks how the Christian community grew from one tiny church in 1984 to serving a Friday turnout of 20,000 from 86 congregations who worship in 32 languages

By Joanna Langely, Gulf News,2nd June,2001

Over 117 million people have accepted Christ after watching the Jesus film, where Brian Deacon stepped into the role of Jesus Christ on over 20 years ago on location in the Middle East.

Christianity.com, June 4, 2001

The Israeli religious burial society is claiming that the three were born of mixed marriages - a Jewish father and a Christian mother - and therefore could not be buried in Jewish cemeteries.

By Anat Cygielman and Yossi Verter, Ha'aretz Correspondents

Many people outside the region consider the Arab Middle East exclusively Muslim. Middle East expert Claude Lorieux dispels that notion in his new book called, "Christians in the Land of Islam."

VOW News, Laurie Kassman, Paris,31 May 2001

Christian workers in Istanbul who distribute Bibles and New Testaments in the Turkish language had their offices raided by police and are currently under investigation by local authorities.

Assist News May 31, 2001

Egypt's grand mufti : "Arabs and Muslims will not allow a Jewish Temple to be rebuilt even if that would lead to a third world war breaking out"

The Times of India,29th may,2001

"We invent all kinds of tombs" in Palestinian-populated areas, said Prof. Moshe Maoz at a meeting with the Jewish Leaders in the US, citing Joseph's Tomb, located in Nablus, which was destroyed by Palestinian rioters

By Melissa Radler, The Jerusalem Post, May 29, 2001