Writing Letters of Advocacy for Victims of Religious Persecution

Faith McDonnell
April 19, 2012

When I first learned about the persecution of Christians and other people of faith around the world, it was not quite the Victorian Era (although my daughter probably thinks I was alive then), but as in that era, the primary means of communication was a written letter. 

Through organizations like Keston College and CREED, we wrote letters to Christians and Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union (there, now you have a better idea of how long ago it was) in labor camps and psychiatric hospitals, to labor camp and government officials, and to our own members of Congress and the President of the United States. We heard that Soviet officials kept careful track of these letters (which we often sent with a “return receipt requested”), and that those prisoners who received letters, or were the subject of them, usually were treated better than those who appeared to be forgotten by the outside world.

And yet we still felt frustrated and wished we could do more. Although there were some exemplary members of Congress who believed that they were in the United States government in order to defend the human rights of the persecuted and marginalized, there was no official U.S. foreign policy provision for interceding in religious persecution.

All that changed in 1998, with the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) by Congress, signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Suddenly there was a whole toolbox of actions enshrined in U.S. foreign policy for helping those who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. You can read more about IRFA in this article I wrote to commemorate the ten year anniversary of this important piece of legislation. Briefly, it created the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, it established a State Department Office on Religious Freedom, and it signaled to the global community that the United States places a high priority on freedom of religion.

But, as you have probably realized, IRFA was not a silver bullet for ending religious persecution. By the time the legislation was passed, it had gone through several changes/compromises. And even since then there have been many occasions that have proved that because a law is passed doesn’t mean that it is going to be implemented as envisioned.

So public policy advocacy, although enhanced by such legislation as IRFA and modernized by the internet, email, and social media, still depends on the hard work, persistence, and perseverance of intercessors and advocates who care about those who are persecuted for their faith. Here is one suggestion for your public policy. The form has changed since the days of hand writing letters about persecuted Christians in the Soviet Union, but the idea is the same:

I hope you find these helpful. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you want any more information. Let’s continue to be the voice for those who are persecuted.

_______

Members of Congress respond – to spontaneous constituent mail, telephone calls from constituents, personal visits from constituents, orchestrated mail campaigns, and even to articles and editorials in major daily newspapers.

Write to your member of Congress, Senators, the President, and the State Department.

Very Important: Emails or faxes are the preferred means of communication since U.S. mail delivered to Congress is held up for many days to be examined ever since the 2001 Anthrax attack.

How to write your letter:

• Say something positive – thank the legislator for something.

If possible, thank him/her for some action or statement concerning the subject about which you are writing. Find out if they have supported legislation about that issue in the past.

• Keep the letter brief – limit it to a single issue – For instance, write separate letters about persecution in Sudan and persecution in Nigeria.

• Be polite – your opinion will carry more weight if you seem rational.

• Come to the point quickly – this is also extremely important if you get a face-to-face meeting with your Representative or Senator.

• Give the bill number or title. (Feel free to call or email IRD if you need help with this on bills concerning the persecuted church or similar issues.)

• State your reasons for writing – your faith, how this affects you, etc. – and use your own words or add your own words to a model letter – don’t just copy a form letter word for word.

• Offer information, cite sources, be a resource person. (We can help you with that!)

• Ask a question that requires an original answer, which compels staff to do more research (and lets you know if they are really reading your letter).

• When they respond, WRITE BACK – think of your letters as two-way correspondence.

• Make your letter timely – before decisions are made or issues are resolved, for good or for evil.

How to address your letter:

Faith McDonnell
April 19, 2012

When I first learned about the persecution of Christians and other people of faith around the world, it was not quite the Victorian Era (although my daughter probably thinks I was alive then), but as in that era, the primary means of communication was a written letter. 

Through organizations like Keston College and CREED, we wrote letters to Christians and Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union (there, now you have a better idea of how long ago it was) in labor camps and psychiatric hospitals, to labor camp and government officials, and to our own members of Congress and the President of the United States. We heard that Soviet officials kept careful track of these letters (which we often sent with a “return receipt requested”), and that those prisoners who received letters, or were the subject of them, usually were treated better than those who appeared to be forgotten by the outside world.

And yet we still felt frustrated and wished we could do more. Although there were some exemplary members of Congress who believed that they were in the United States government in order to defend the human rights of the persecuted and marginalized, there was no official U.S. foreign policy provision for interceding in religious persecution.

All that changed in 1998, with the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) by Congress, signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Suddenly there was a whole toolbox of actions enshrined in U.S. foreign policy for helping those who were persecuted for their religious beliefs. You can read more about IRFA in this article I wrote to commemorate the ten year anniversary of this important piece of legislation. Briefly, it created the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, it established a State Department Office on Religious Freedom, and it signaled to the global community that the United States places a high priority on freedom of religion.

But, as you have probably realized, IRFA was not a silver bullet for ending religious persecution. By the time the legislation was passed, it had gone through several changes/compromises. And even since then there have been many occasions that have proved that because a law is passed doesn’t mean that it is going to be implemented as envisioned.

So public policy advocacy, although enhanced by such legislation as IRFA and modernized by the internet, email, and social media, still depends on the hard work, persistence, and perseverance of intercessors and advocates who care about those who are persecuted for their faith. Here is one suggestion for your public policy. The form has changed since the days of hand writing letters about persecuted Christians in the Soviet Union, but the idea is the same:

Writing Letters of Advocacy for Victims of Religious Persecution

I hope you find these helpful. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you want any more information. Let’s continue to be the voice for those who are persecuted.