Rastafarians Struggle With Discrimination 
By STEVENSON JACOBS 
Associated Press Writer 

July 15, 2003, 3:48 PM EDT 

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Their dreadlocked image and marijuana-laced
mysticism are used to promote Jamaica as a tranquil tourist destination
yet Rastafarians say they're treated as second-class citizens at home. 

The religion isn't officially recognized in Jamaica, which means
marriages can't be legally performed and places of worship aren't tax
exempt. Rastas also say their traditional appearance and ritual use of
marijuana has kept them from getting decent jobs. 

"They put a wire fence around us so that when we reach for opportunities
we get scraped," said Pato Solo, a 33-year-old attending the
International Rastafari Conference, which begins Wednesday and is
drawing followers from the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. 

Fueled by anger over the colonial oppression of blacks, descendants of
African slaves started the religion in Jamaica during the 1930s. 

Its message of peaceful coexistence, marijuana use and African
repatriation was popularized in the 1970s through reggae artists such as
Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. An estimated 700,000 people practice the
faith worldwide but the government of Jamaica can't say with certainty
how many of its 2.6 million people are Rastas. 

"We can't walk free, we can't talk free ... We're still under bondage,"
said Radcliffe Boyd, 33, who claims he had his wrist broken by police
three years ago after being caught with marijuana. 

He paid a small fine, as do most Rastas arrested for marijuana use.
Penalties range from fines of less than $2 to six months in jail. 

Rastafarians say they're blamed for crime in Jamaica and looked down
upon for their use of marijuana, which followers believe brings them
closer to God. Some sects believe their god is deceased Ethiopian
Emperor Haile Selassie. 

Few Rastas are employed in the formal sector in Jamaica. Officials say
they don't discriminate, but admit they would rather hire someone who is
clean-cut and sober. 

Lansford Haughton, 51, said he was refused work at a post office: "They
said, 'you have to groom yourself,'" he said. "I told them, 'This is my
faith.'" One of the religion's tenets is staying close to nature, which
can mean not combing or cutting one's hair. 

Police spokeswoman Ionie Ramsay-Nelson raised another question: "It's a
safety issue. Sometimes we have to use firearms and if somebody takes a
smoke they might just do whatever their mind tells them to and start
shooting. It's a concern." 

Rastas say using the drug doesn't affect their performance. 

"Ganja makes me focus more, said Robert Gardner, 32, saying marijuana
users are not "like crack addicts or alcoholics." 

The treatment of Rastas isn't much better elsewhere in the Caribbean. 

The British Virgin Islands in 1980 banned Rastas from setting foot in
the territory. Several groups are trying to repeal the law. It's still
on the books, though Rasta visitors are not turned away but complain of
harassment at the airport. 

In Grenada last year, prison officials told four Rastafarian inmates
they would have to cut their dreadlocks to prevent disease and the
smuggling of contraband. A court challenge is pending. 

Discrimination hasn't stopped some from cashing in on the faith, whose
colors of red, green and gold earn millions in sales of T-shirts, shoes
and the crocheted tams into which they tuck their hair. 

Television ads woo tourists with white-sand beaches and friendly Rastas
to the rhythm of the famous Marley anthem "One Love." 

"It's a mockery. They use us like a style, a fashion," said Solo, who
plans to bring up his concerns at the conference. 

One invited guest who won't be attending is Jamaican Prime Minister P.J.
Patterson. He declined because of a scheduling conflict, said his
spokesman Huntley Medley. 

Howard Hamilton, Jamaica's public defender, said it's time for the
country to fully recognize it's homegrown religion, including the use of
marijuana as a sacrament. 

"They have paid their dues," said Hamilton. 

Politicians have promised to explore decriminalizing marijuana. Rastas
aren't holding their breath, so to speak. 

"America, England, Japan, that's where we get respect, not Jamaica,"
said Boyd, grinding bits of the lime-green herb. "Jamaicans don't want
to know about their culture." 

Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press 

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