Rasta Is Patriarchal! (I did not know this.)

[MamaJunebug]

Safiya Sinclair’s story

Book title is “How To Say Babylon”.  Forgive typos, please - just learned about this memoir of leaving and “becoming a ghost” - Rastafarian term for “shunning” - in this book featured on NPR. 

Had my eyes dilated today  but soon’s I can, I’m requesting the book from my library.  SO many commonalities - which make me sad. Never imagined it to be so. 

Edited October 5, 2023 by MamaJunebug

[Pancakes@Tiffany's]

Yes, because at the centre of Rastafarianism is Protestant Christianity, just reinterpreted. It's terribly misogynistic, as bad as the misogyny you get in organizations like IBLP.

From what I know: They promote the restoration of black manhood after the emasculation of Babylon, which, for the same tired old bullshit reasons, means women have to be inferior. They've got the usual misogyny checklist: women are to submit to men, showing total obedience; women are inherently morally weak and subsceptible to evil; pants are frowned on in favour of long skirts that hide their curves; and they have to cover their hair when praying—for some even when out in public. It goes on and on and they use scripture to justify and enforce.

As far as the religious stuff: Rastafarianism considers white men the real forces of evil, who changed the Bible to oppress black people. They reinterpreted Zion, as mentioned in the Old Testament, as really being Africa. Babylon became all white Europeans, and the Messiah became a saviour who would rescue the African people from those white Europeans, delivering them from oppression and returning them to Zion. They believe this was promised in the book of Revelations.

When Haille Selassie became emperor of Ethiopia in 1930, he was viewed as the incarnation of the God of Israel, a.k.a Jah, and the second coming of Jesus. Allegedly, you have to affirm that Selassie is God to join the Rastafari movement.

Bob Marley is arguably the most famous face of Rastafarianism, but you should look into some of the old leaders, like Leonard Howell, who had 13 concubines.

I should add that Rastafarians don't view Rastafarianism as a religion—even though at its core it's a reinterpreted Christianity—but as a complete way of life.

(Full disclosure, I was raised to view Rastafarianism as a cult, but I was brought up in the Pentecostal denomination.)

 

[nvmbr02]

I listened to part of her interview on NPR last night and learned quite a bit I didn't know. I am planning to read the book too. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

The New Yorker published a long excerpt. PM me if you want a copy.