Kurdistan in the north of Iraq has become a refuge for Christians and other religious minorities in the midst of the Islamic State's murderous rampage. The abundant crimes of Daesh, as it also is known, constitute an unprecedented religious war against members of minority faiths who until recently largely lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors.

As Islamic State expanded it attacked most everyone, especially Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities. Hence the brutal campaign detailed in the nearly 300-page report, "Genocide against Christians in the Middle East," issued by the Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians, a group that focuses on the Middle East.

This sustained Islamist attack targets the roots of Christianity in its birthplace. The report argued simply that Islamic State "is committing genocide" against Christians in Iraq, Libya and Syria. The words of Daesh are clear.