Persecution of Rastafari
Encyclopedia
Persecution of members of the Rastafari movement
, a group founded in Jamaica
in the early 1930s and who worship Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
as Almighty God
, has been fairly continuous since the movement began but nowadays is particularly concerning their spiritual
use of cannabis
, a psychoactive drug illegal
almost everywhere in the world.
The first Rastafari to appear in a court was Leonard Howell
in Jamaica in 1934 who was charged with sedition for refusing to accept George V of the United Kingdom
as his King, instead insisting that he was only loyal to Selassie I and Ethiopia
. He was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison.
By the 1950s, Rastafari's message of racial pride and unity had unnerved the ruling class of Jamaica, and confrontations between the poor black Rastas and middle-class police were common. Many Rastas were beaten, and some killed. Others were humiliated by having their sacred dreadlocks cut off. In 1954, the Pinnacle commune was destroyed by Jamaican authorities.
Attitudes began to change when Selassie I visited Jamaica in April 1966. The popularisation of Rastafari through reggae
music, and especially through the fame and near-heroic status of Bob Marley
have made the Rastafari far more acceptable than in past times, though their use of cannabis remains a major point of controversy.
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
, a group founded in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in the early 1930s and who worship Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
as Almighty God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, has been fairly continuous since the movement began but nowadays is particularly concerning their spiritual
Spiritual use of cannabis
Sacramental, religious and spiritual use of cannabis refers to cannabis used in a religious or spiritual context. Cannabis has an ancient history of ritual usage as an aid to trance and has been traditionally used in a religious context throughout the Old World....
use of cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, a psychoactive drug illegal
Legal issues of cannabis
The legality of cannabis has been the subject of debate and controversy for decades. Cannabis is illegal to consume, use, possess, cultivate, transfer or trade in most countries...
almost everywhere in the world.
The first Rastafari to appear in a court was Leonard Howell
Leonard Howell
Leonard Percival Howell , known as The Gong or G.G. Maragh , was a Jamaican religious figure. According to his biographer Hélène Lee, Howell was born in an Anglican family...
in Jamaica in 1934 who was charged with sedition for refusing to accept George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
as his King, instead insisting that he was only loyal to Selassie I and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. He was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison.
By the 1950s, Rastafari's message of racial pride and unity had unnerved the ruling class of Jamaica, and confrontations between the poor black Rastas and middle-class police were common. Many Rastas were beaten, and some killed. Others were humiliated by having their sacred dreadlocks cut off. In 1954, the Pinnacle commune was destroyed by Jamaican authorities.
Attitudes began to change when Selassie I visited Jamaica in April 1966. The popularisation of Rastafari through reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
music, and especially through the fame and near-heroic status of Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
have made the Rastafari far more acceptable than in past times, though their use of cannabis remains a major point of controversy.