Since the start of the civil war in 2011, 700,000 Christians have left Syria. What began as a popular uprising with demands for political change has increasingly developed into a 'jihad' against the Syrian government. Islamic State (IS) have claimed parts of Syria for their 'caliphate' (Islamic state), and other radical groups such as Jabhat al-Nsura are also a threat. Christians are frequently attacked, abducted and killed, and one Muslim cleric has declared that 'raping Alawi or Christian women is not contrary to the precepts of Islam'.