Rastafarian culture is one of the known religious groups whose cultural practices are observed from all parts of the world. It was developed in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica in 1920s and 1930s. The Rastafarian movement began with the teachings of Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), a black Jamaican who led a “Back to Africa” movement. He taught that Africans are the true Israelites and have been exiled to Jamaica and other parts of the world as divine punishment. Garvey encouraged pride in being black and worked to reverse the mindset of inferiority that centuries of enslavement had ingrained on the minds of blacks. Garvey is regarded as a second John the Baptist and famously prophesied in 1927, “Look to Africa, for there a king shall be crowned.”
The Rastafarian culture is facing a major challenge of poor reputation in Kenya. This has been a challenge for a long time and the people in that culture feel rejected in the society. The Rasta way of life has an ill reputation because majority of Kenyans associate people with dreadlocks with crime.
The Rastafarian way of life conflict the normal life of other various religions in the country. They smoke marijuana as their religious sacrament every time they are in prayers mood and that is a big challenge because the use of marijuana is illegal according to the state laws. Just as the other religions are allowed to exercise their freedom of worship freely, rastas should also get that freedom for them to feel appreciated in the society.
According to the Rastafarian beliefs, they are not allowed to cut their hair. Most rastas keep dreadlocks and this is another thing that makes their reputation poor. A criminal gang popularly known as “mungiki” in central Kenya had the same identity as rastas because they kept dreadlocks. This makes many local Kenyans get hard time knowing who “mungiki” is and who is not.
A true Rastafarian is a cool person who does not like bringing up or being involved in any kind of trouble. They smoke marijuana as their religious sacrament and they only do it at prayer occasions as they speak to Jah (God). The keeping of dreadlocks is done as a religious right and that is not an identification of a criminal. A true Rastafarian is always friendly and loves everyone and that is why a Rasta legend Bob Marley had a song titled “one love” where he asked people from all backgrounds to come together and live together in equal love.
If Kenyans had a true picture of what it means to be a Rasta, everyone would love their way of life and would always want to be associated with them. As Kenyans we should change our perceptions towards rastas and give them freedom to exercise their religious ways of life for them to feel loved and appreciated in society.
Bob Marley once said” life is one big road with lots of signs. So when riding through the routes, don’t complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don’t bury your thoughts. Put your vision to reality, wake up and live.” Here he was telling rastas that there are many challenges in life such as been neglected in the society and he calls on them to always share love with people of all kinds.
By Mutuku Felix
Fenkel Productions 