IS has spread from Syria to Iraq; giving Christians the ultimatum - convert, submit, or die. In Basra and Baghdad Christian women are threatened in the workplace and forced to wear headscarves. Many have been driven out. There is low-level persecution of Christians by the government and its Shia-dominated army. Kidnapping is commonplace. ‘The future looks bleak for Christians in Iraq,’ says Paul Robinson of Release, ‘Christians are caught in the crossfire.’ The'ar and his family fled from Baghdad to the Christian village of Qaraqosh, but had to flee again when it was captured by IS. The'ar said, ‘We have no future. Our prayer is to leave this country, just to be human and to raise our kids with dignity.’ However, there are rays of light. Thousands of refugees have trekked through the desert to Kurdistan, which has declared itself a safe haven for Christian refugees. It is one of the few areas of the Middle East where churches for Muslim-background believers are flourishing.