In Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, Muslims and Christians rallied together in support of Iraqi Christians. Last week, extremist rebels expelled the entire Christian community of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, except for those who agreed to convert to Islam. Most fled to the northern Kurdish city of Erbil. There had been a Christian presence in Mosul for nearly 2,000 years. The Syriac Catholic leader of the region, Patriarch Ignatius Youssef Younan came to Washington to seek Western help:

Patriarch Younan: “It is a shame that in the 21st century, we have such a kind of behavior. It’s mass cleansing based on religion.”

Watch more of our interview with Patriarch Younan about Iraqi Christians.