Mosul  - Fifty three-year-old Umm Farah, a mother of three, had no choice but to flee from Mosul to Baghdad on a wintry night. Like many others, she says, she was subject to death threats simply because she is a Christian.

As the country heads into an election period widely hoped to deliver stability and greater democratic representation, Iraq's Christian community is barely emerging from a wave of sectarian murder and intimidation.

Despite a reduction in violence in previously incendiary provinces such as Anbar, Mosul had become a locus of al-Qaeda militant activity by late 2008.

"Although Iraq's security had improved, we are still living through brutal days. We have lost our safety and security forever," said Umm Farah.