Melville CookeDem a boas'
Sey dem capture Rasta
- Culture
I CRINGED when I read my colleague Mark Dawes' 'From Rasta to Rastafringe' in the Mind&Spirit section of last Saturday's Gleaner. In his defence, it could be said that 'the views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the person whose name is attached to it', as the piece was a rehashing of something written in a magazine called Charisma (a misnomer of no mean order, if this report of a report is anything to go by).
It may also be significant or simply exquisite coincidence, that the writer of origin is an Andy Butcher. If this is a fair representation of his approach to his job, he certainly hacks away at his subject enthusiastically, slitting the throat of objectivity in the process.
However, there is no excuse for the views that were not expressed, as although the 'Rastafringe' article was a gleeful and hopeful exploration of the supposed lessening of emphasis on Haile Selassie's divinity supposedly supported by the views of some persons with locks who Butcher found at a concert, no opinion was solicited from the Jamaican Rastafarian community.
And the last time I checked, Rastafarianism started in Jamaica and has any number of highly visible persons whose opinion could be sought. In addition, since that Butcher of a chap simply walked into a reggae concert and spoke to some people, there are any number of Rastafarians (or perhaps persons with locks) just walking by on the streets and in The Gleaner's newsroom as well.
Discrimination by omission is just as dangerous as discrimination by commission.
DISCRIMINATORY
In that context, I find 'From Rasta to Rastafringe' discriminatory, disrespectful and distasteful.
There is a huge difference between tolerance and respect. Tolerance implies that the person who is being tolerated is wrong, but the people who are right are being indulgent. Tolerance is a very bad word. 'Badder' than the one K.D. Knight told Portia Simpson Miller on Duke Street.
The word I treasure is respect, with its implied acknowledgment of a person's right to believe what he or she chooses to believe. A little respect from Butcher and co. would have done wonders for their cause as well.
In addition, the article is riddled with holes larger than gaps in the case for war on Iraq. Its basic premise, that the Rastafarian movement is becoming less focused on Haile Selassie's divinity, is not attributed. It is simply spoken into being (the full text of the article may clarify this).
Then Butcher heads off to a concert to 'get a feel of the Rasta vibe'. Not a meeting of Rastafarians, but a concert. You know, it is very possible that I could be in a church one day and some writer comes in hell-bent on shoring up the premise that the Church is very oppressive of women. They would get a lot of support from me but I am not a Christian.
WHERE IS THE DATA?
Just as how it cannot be assumed that everyone who goes to church is a Christian, one cannot assume that everyone who wears locks is Rasta. Ask first.
Then there is the part which reads "Rastafari, Mr. Butcher, notes, was also distinctive in its formative years as being virtually anti-white". Hmm. Show me the evidence. Show me where Leonard Howell was anti-white. And if there was anger against the actions of white people, what is wrong with that, then or now? Then there are the numbers. 'From Rasta to Rastafringe' "many researchers say that although the Rastafringe numbers in the millions, at the heart there are probably not many more than a million true believers." What is the source? 'Many researchers' is not a source. Where is the data? 'Probably' is no degree of accuracy.
What I find amusing, though, is that after cringing I come away from the article with a good deal of amusement. I get the feeling that Rastafarianism is spreading among young whites ("Rastafari is increasingly gaining a white following and acceptance") and the emphasis is on stopping it ("it's significant in that every person who moves towards Rastafari, even if they are not really deep in conviction or commitment, is a harder person to win to Jesus.")
Christianity has been around for a couple millennia and has used war, slavery, crusades, educational institutions, benevolence and television, among other tools, to spread its message. When Rastafari was putting down roots, the nuclear bomb had already mushroomed. Rastafari has sent out no conquering armies, has not whipped Christianity or any other religion out of anyone, has not invaded other countries and forbidden others to worship their gods. And still, based on 'From Rasta to Rastafringe', I get the feeling that Rastafari is seen as a threat to the Christian community.
Hmm. Dem a go tiad fi see Haile Selassie face.
Don't trouble the Rastaman
For the Rastaman never
trouble no one
- Burning Spear
Mel Cooke is a freelance writer.
