Rastafari

Meanwhile, in Jamaica, a movement called Rastafari had been building momentum among the poor and working class.

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As a member of the Rastafari movement, he deified H.I.

Alemayehu G. Mariam: Looking for Bob Marley and Fela Kuti

On 17 June, 2008, I'Akobu Tacuma Maloney — a bright, high-achieving 23-year-old Barbadian engineer who had recently graduated from the University of the West Indies, and a devout Rastafari — died in a mysterious encounter with the Barbados police.

Global Voices in English » Barbados: Questions about Maloney inquest verdict

AfriKa CRY BLOOD noted the response of the police commissioner, who said he was willing to meet with the Rastafari community to hear their concerns, but denied that the Barbados police singled out members of any religious or ethnic group.

Global Voices in English » Barbados: Questions about Maloney inquest verdict

Noting tensions between the Barbados Rastafari community and the police, the coroner urged the Royal Barbados Police Force to address the problem:

Global Voices in English » Barbados: Questions about Maloney inquest verdict

Members of the Rastafari community in Barbados set up a blog, AfriKa CRY BLOOD, to publicise their efforts to seek justice in the Maloney case, demanding an independent investigation.

Global Voices in English » Barbados: Questions about Maloney inquest verdict

Gibson had always loved the "peaceful vibes of Rastafari livity," but like many he knew the movement by the hair, the music and the ganja.

Rasta inmates spend decade in isolation for dreadlock hair

Rastafari draws from the Bible, mixing in African and Caribbean cultural influences.

Rasta inmates spend decade in isolation for dreadlock hair

While one can recognize the pragmatic aspects of rejecting a religious exemption, including the likelihood of every pothead in America claiming Rastafari observance, this still should trouble us that a religious practice can be prohibited even when practitioners are not hurting themselves or one another.

Frank Fredericks: Protecting Pastafarians: When Does Religious Freedom Become Ridiculous?

The slightly older faith tradition of Rastafari whose adherents prefer not to be referred to with "-ism" apparently crosses the line of what's protected under religious freedom.

Frank Fredericks: Protecting Pastafarians: When Does Religious Freedom Become Ridiculous?