Freeing All God’s Children

Why do certain problems become major issues for the human rights movement, while others of equal gravity do not? Allen Hertzke charts the emergence of one “new” rights issue: religious persecution. Structural factors, especially rights NGOs’ predilections for secular issues, have long kept religion from becoming a focus. But, with the Christian right’s rise in America in the 1990s, a powerful new force began promoting religious rights. Using dramatic allegations of Islamic persecution against Christians in Sudan, this movement catalyzed support for its goal, leading to changes in U.S. government policy and rights NGOs’ agendas. While Hertzke considers only religion, his book holds wider lessons. Rights NGOs are less open to new issues than often imagined, due to scarce resources and pre-existing commitments. New rights claimants sometimes reshape the agenda, with the most powerful, like those opposing religious persecution, having the best prospect. Weaker, less politically-connected groups will have greater difficulty, however.