The recent discovery of an ancient church and monastery in the holy city of Najaf suggests that many Iraqis' ancestors were, in fact, Christian.

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Weekend Reads Looking for some weekend reads? Check out these five great stories that you might have missed this week. The recent discovery of an ancient church and monastery in the holy city of Najaf suggests that many Iraqis' ancestors were, in fact, Christian. That can only make their historic preservation that much harder. President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi says patriotic Egyptians should contribute to the state to help get the country out of debt. They responded by putting him up for bid on eBay.  The Obama administration has vowed to prevent Iran from using its nuclear deal windfall to stock up on conventional weapons. Congress isn't taking any chances. Given all the talk of a neo-Ottoman resurgence in Turkey, it was only a matter of time before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inner circle found a way praise the harems of yore. While the comments by the president's wife have outraged leftists and feminists, they come at a time when Turkish consumers of all political leanings are fueling a craze for harem-related products. A new Gaza law that allows battered men to file for divorce from their abusive wives has been hailed as a sign of progress in the conservative Muslim enclave. But some critics say it further marginalizes women by giving men an out on their alimony obligations.  VIEW SLIDESHOW> Egypt Gulf Iran Iraq Israel Lebanon Palestine Syria Turkey Congress Russia / MidEast