The swift rise of Daesh in northern Iraq and Syria in 2014 took many in the West by surprise. That element of surprise and the delayed reaction cost many religious minorities (including Muslims) dear. Many fled and many were slaughtered. Many were sold into slavery, including young women from minority communities sold as sex slaves to Daesh fighters. It has taken Iraq until now to start the liberation of Mosul. Footage from the city shows desecrated places of worship where churches and mosques stood for thousands of years.

The Christian population of the Middle East has dropped from 14 per cent in 1910 to 4 per cent today. Some have said the survival of Christianity in the Middle East is now in jeopardy. Before the civil war in Syria, Christians made up more than 10 per cent of the population. Now more than 40 per cent of Christians have left Syria. Iraq has seen a similar decline in its Christian population since the 2003 war.

The question is what, if anything, can be done to protect religious minority communities across the Middle East. Some call for hard power solutions and in cases such as Daesh the use of force that is proportionate and necessary. Others see possible solutions through attaching conditions to international development aid, or human rights conditions and religious freedom clauses to international trade agreements.