Tag: #rastafari

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies Italo-Ethiopian War

The Chicago Defender, March 9 1935

The Chicago Defender, March 9 1935

“DOOM AND DESTRUCTION AWAIT ITALY IN ETHIOPIA SAY EXPERTS

MUSSOLINI’S TROOPS CAN NEVER CONQUER AFRICAN WARRIORS

ADDIS ABABA – Some of the tenseness that originally attended the break between Ethiopia and Italy has subsided in the last few days, but one can see at a glance that preparations for war are going on as usual. Day by day new troops, headed by their chieftains ride down from the mountains that almost completely hide this town from the world, and stack their arms in view of their Emperor’s castle.

In the meantime, Emperor Haile Selassie, the only absolute monarch in the world today, sits in his consultation room of the palace and discusses with his advisers the best methods of keeping he troops from far-off Italy from grabbing up his kingdom as white soldiers have gobbled up the rest of Africa. Dressed in regular European attire, the Emperor look much like an American mulatto but for his beard which he prizes highly. His street clothes, however, consist always of the native raiment of flowing robes and rich headwear.

The native costume, the Emperor says, is for he benefi of his people who would not appreciate the European wear. The Emperor, however, having been educated in Europe, has all the culture and diplomacy of the best of France and England. He speaks English, German, French and Italian fluently, edits his own newspaper and, in the opinion of English critics, writes some of the most biting editorials known to journalism.

He is kindly, considerate, and yet rules his 15,000,000 subjects with an iron hand. He speaks with a soft voice, yes with an authority that indicates that he means to be obeyed.

Those are some of the outstanding traits of the Emperor who is preparing daily to resist the invasion of his country now being openly threatened by Italy and the blustering Mussolini.”

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

The Afro-American Newspaper – July 24 1954

The Afro-American Newspaper, July 24 1954:

“HAILE’S GOLD MEDAL AWARDED TO ROGERS

By imperial command of Emperor, Haile Selassie, J.A. Rogers was summoned to the Waldorf-Astoria last Thursday, presented with a gold medal and given an order for 128 copies of Rogers’ book, ‘World’s Great Men of Color, 3000 B.C. to 1946 A.D.’. After the presentation, Mr. Rogers said:

‘This ought to squelch the belief held by some that he considers himself white and is not interested in colored Americans.

I first met him at his coronation in 1930.

At 61, the Emperor is in excellent health. He underwent a physical examination at Harknes Pavillion of the Presbyterian Hospital and passed with flying colors.’

Mr. Rogers revealed he is working on two new books.

One of them is a book of amazing facts entitled ‘Astonishing Facts About the Colored American, 1512 to the Present’.

Mr. Rogers says he has enought important facts to fill several volumes.

WORDING IN AMHARIC

The gold coin given him by the Emperor, is one of a thousand minted for the Emperor’s coronation and the wordings in Amharic.

Commenting on John Gunther’s story in the Reader’s Digest in which said Gunther the Ethiopians ‘consider themselves to be white no matter what their color is’, this is an entirely false interpretation.

‘Ethiopians do consider themselves the equal of anybody, which is something entirely different’, says Mr. Rogers.

ONLY IN U.S.

‘I discussed this with many of the highest Ethiopians. They regard themselves as black people – Africans’.”

*****

“ROGERS GUEST OF SELASSIE

Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia sent for and granted private audience to J.A. Rogers, Courier editorial page columnist, on the day of his departure.

The Emperor met Mr. Rogers in Ethiopia in 1930 at his coronation and again in 1935 when Mr. Rogers was in Addis Ababa as a Courier correspondent.”

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

Sir Abdullah Archibald Hamilton, Muslim Community of Great Britain – 1936

Shah Jehan Mosque
Woking, UK, August 26, 1936

“May it please Your Imperial Majesty,
In according Your Majesty our heartiest welcome on your visit to this Mosque, we may be permitted to give expression to our feeling of deep admiration for the manner in which Your Majesty has faced the great trial through which your country and people have recently passed and are still passing. It must, however, be a source of consolation to Your Majesty that the sympathies of the greater part of the world, including those of the great world of Islam, have been with your country and yourself throughout the grim struggle that has just ended in a disaster for Ethiopia.

Among other noble traits of character that have elicited well-deserved praise, the one that has specially appealed to us Muslims is the faith and trust in God which has all along characterised the acts of Your Majesty and your broadminded regard for all religions, which has been demonstrated by Your Majesty’s visit to this Mosque to-day.

Standing in Your Majesty’s presence, we cannot help recalling how, brutally persecuted at home, the first believers in Islam took refuge, on the Prophet’s advice, in the then country of Abyssinia, and how they were hospitably received by the Negus of the time and benevolently protected by him from the evil intentions of their enemies, who had come there to demand their forcible repatriation. Indeed, so vividly do we recall this thrilling episode of the Muslim history that as we speak we can see in our imagination Ja’far, the leader of the Muslim refugees, pleading with hope and fear the Muslim cause, weak in material resources, before the great Negus, and the monarch shedding tears of spiritual joy at the touching spiritual enthusiasm of the speaker.

By this gesture the country of Abyssinia not only proved itself the foster-mother of the Islamic religion, but also showed its appreciation of the message of that religion for the Ethiopian race. Subsequent history, of Islam and Abyssinia, shows that none of the parties has been unmindful of the significance of this mutual approach.

Bilal, the Abyssinian companion of the Prophet was given the highest rank among the believers and had the unique privilege of calling the faithful to Prayer. In one of his visions the Prophet saw him entering the Paradise ahead of all the believers. The love between him and the Prophet has given rise to a theme of spiritual romance, the only one of its kind in Muslim literature.

On the other hand, sheltered and encouraged by Abyssinia, Islam grew into an overwhelming political and cultural force. It sent its invincible armies to all the four corners of the world and conquered most of the countries from the extreme East to the extreme West. But not once during these triumphant marches and conquests did its generals feel like invading Abyssinia.

But, though never conquered by arms, the hold of Islam on the Ethiopian race, so early effected through spiritual appeal, has successfully defied all attempts at slackening through political and economic influences and adverse propaganda from outside. The spiritual march of Islam in Africa, we are proud to recall, has been going on steadily during all these centuries.

But, while turning over these forgotten pages of history, we are painfully aware that nothing now remains of that old order. Islam has been shorn of its political glory, and Abyssinia, that old and powerful Christian kingdom – the oldest in the world – is also lying humiliated. We may say, nevertheless, that the spiritual kinship which has subsisted between the people of Ethiopia and the Islamic world is still a living reality.

Your Majesty, Islam means submission – submission of the rebellious physical self to the spiritual self in man. It also means “peace”, as peace is the inevitable result of such a submission. As we see it, it has been the religion of all the spiritual leaders of humanity. Muhammad came not to destroy but to fulfil the mission of all these religious personalities, particularly that of Jesus Christ, of whose religion Your Majesty is a devout follower – to fulfil it in the inter-racial and international relations of humanity. As we are glad to be able to say that though long averse to giving it a patient hearing, the people of the West have already begun to appreciate the Message of Islam – a phenomenon of which this Mosque, standing before you, is an indication.

Indeed, the power of Islam to unite diverse races and colours of the world in a spiritual confraternity, is now recognized even by those who are the most active in  calumniating it. Through Your Majesty we, on behalf of Islam in this powerful country of Great Britain, reaffirm to the Ethiopian race our old feelings of good-will and sympathy, at this time, when, in spite of the darkness of the political world, we have the pleasant surprise of finding the spiritual horizon of humanity brightening up with a new hope of recovery.

Thanking Your Majesty for the pleasure of your august company this afternoon, and praying for a better and a glorious future of the Ethiopian race.

We remain, Your Imperial Majesty’s humble fellow-believers in the Scriptures.”

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Haile Selassie I - Prophecy

Christ Must Return in 2000 Years

“The Bible says that Christ must return after 2000 years”. This teaching was repeatedly expressed by Bob Marley in several interviews, and it is often criticized by the enemies of Rastafari faith as a false statement, as they cannot find it written anywhere in the Holy Scripture. As always happens, the mind of this people is without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, without knowledge of the Ethiopian tradition and without Apostolic intelligence of interpretation, and they cannot see and respect the wisdom of a true Prophet, that indeed, with high consciousness, spoke the biblical truth that is hidden in the pages of the Scripture, and that only Rasta must reveal to the people in this time.

As we learn from the Ethiopian traditional Book of “Gedle Adam” (The Combat of Adam), Christ had to born 5500 years after the creation of Adam:

” ‘The Word will again save thee when the five years and a half are fulfilled’. (…) Then God in His Mercy for Adam, made in His own image and likeness, explained to him that these were 5000 and 500 years, and how One would then come and save him and his seed”.

(Gedle Adam Book I, Chapter III)

1000 years were thus interpreted as one day in the language of God, as it was written by the Apostle Peter:

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3,8)

Therefore the history of creation is compared to the week of creation, and 7 days corresponds to 7 millenniums. The 1st millennium is the Sunday, as 1st day of Creation. The 6th millennium (5000-6000 considering the Creation of Adam, 500 B.C. – 500 A.D. considering the Birth of Christ), in which Christ was born, was the 6th day of Creation, i.e. Friday, the day in which Adam was created, and also the day in which he ate the forbidden fruit and died: therefore in that day Christ had to suffer and die for the sake of Adam to expiate his sin, and in that 6th millennium Incarnation had to happen, when God dressed the flesh of Adam.

Now we know that Christ died on Friday, slept the sleep of death on the day of Sabbath within the Sepulchre, and rose again on Sunday. The Sabbath of His death corresponds to the 7th millennium (500 A.D. – 1500 A.D.) a period of time that is historically named “Middle Age”, characterized by ascetic attitude and social closure, that had to be a time of transition. The Sunday of Resurrection corresponds to the 8th millennium (1500 A.D. – 2500 A.D) that is what is historically named “Modern Era”, and that starts, for the academics, with the colonial journey of Colombo in 1492 A.D..

This 8th Millennium, New Sunday of the Resurrection, must be the ultimate millennium of history, as it was in the beginning (Sunday) so shall it be in the end (Sunday). In this final millennium Christ must return in His Second Coming, in Risen State, as He returned from death in that same day, after the Friday of His sacrifice, then 2 days after, that also means 2000 years after His First Coming.

That’s why the Holy Liturgy of the Ethiopian Church (Qeddasie) says in the Anaphora of St. Athanasius, 61, about the Sunday:

“Oh, this day is the ultimate that lasts for ever”

And in the footnote of this verse, in the official english translation published by the Ethiopian Church in 1959, written by Rev. Marcos Daoud, we read:

“The tradition is that Christ’s second advent will be on Sunday”.

Also David, in the Psalm 11, whose title is “Concerning the 8th Epoch”, states in reference to the 8th day:

‘I will rise now’ said Egziabhier ::

That’s why His Majesty was crowned on Sunday, and manifested His royal ministry in the 8th millennium of Sunday, exactly 400 hundred years after the colonial journey of Colombo, because in this time both Christ and the Anti-Christ must operate upon the earth.

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Berhane Selassie (Bob Marley)

Bob Marley Never Changed His Faith

He was baptized in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, through the supervision of Abune Yeshaq, as many other Rastafari Patriarchs, including Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Lee Perry and even the spiritual teacher of Bob Marley, Mortimo Planno. But no one speaks about their “conversion”.

Bob Marley started to attend Ethiopian church, established by His Majesty in Jamaica, many years before His baptism, that was just a natural sacramental stage of His livity. In one of His last speeches, he said that “The Ethiopian Church is a Rasta thing”, and Orthodox baptism was just the fulfillment of His faith.

He never denied what He said and lived for, even if he could before dieing. He cried on the day of his baptism for all his sins were forgiven. He left to the world the testimony of the adoration of His Majesty, and his children continue to keep that faith with pride.

Do not follow the parassites, that exist thanks to the work of the Rastaman, that took from the Rastaman names and shapes, and now come to rob I&I of our honor and dignity like ungrateful dogs.

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Meditations

Invest in Education Now

Nowadays, the scarce condition of I&I educational system is due to several different factors, and one of them is surely the disproportion of deal between entertainment and education.

We invested in music industry tons of money, attention and support, and we have thousands of artists, sound systems and bands. Myriads of events, festivals, frameworks, structures and superstructures to push and exalt them. To get what ? Nothing actually, for without Education – that is the Root Word – Sound cannot bear actual fruit in Power. Ironically, this is the Tree without Roots that they chant about, and we see that reggae-dub people very often is completely alienated from I&I faith and purposes.

People should learn to spend in their education, as much as they spend in their artistic fun. They should learn to support the educational workers and teachers, and give them space of working expression and economic subsistence. I remind that His Majesty devoted the higher percentage of national budget to financially sustain educational activities. We need books and teachers now to grow, as it was for Imperial Ethiopia, and create a minimum balance of responsibility.

Certain ones claim that teachers are delusional. How much delusional musicians are instead ? Sometimes it seems we have created a privileged caste of richmen that give no contribution to I&I and spread stupidity, indecence and moral confusion. Their environments, without educational basis, become like shameful sodomitic chilling areas with no consciousness at all, and all our resources are wasted in the final instance. We will stop to deceive ourselves with expectations when we will realize they are two essential human jobs and services, that someone has to perform, and earn a living from that, without excesses of esteem and through clear Ethiopian standards.

Let we stop to replace education with music. We need schools and academic workers, and it could never be a concert or a tune to give us that serious learning we need in life. They got another role, another function, another charisma and another talent, and only a handicapped people mix up the two realities without professional discernment.

So let the people start to buy books as they buy vinyls and albums, even at crazy prices; let the people start to pay and respect writers and teachers for their performances, while they worship and idolatrize musicians without reason; let them stop to give educational efforts for granted, like we manage something of second-class, that should be always freely given and got no sacrifice or toil behind.

Indeed, teaching is art and wisdom is worth more than silver and gold. Wake up and give us the Root of Roots.

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Spiritual Poetry

Time Will Tell

Time
will tell
master
over hell
all matters
under
His spell
change
each cell
of illusional
Chanèl
He rings
next bell
a different
smell
I feel
out the well
form the best
tempest
can’t quell
wheather
like water
that fell
opens
a hard shell
reaching
who dwell
trying to repel
the death
pell-mell
that fake
won’t sell
more
truth
shall rebel
endures
what excel
only that
He compel
to accept
Haile Selassie
the First
Amlake Amalekt
knells
the fact
impels
Mikaièl
to kill
the rats
angèls
of Gebrièl
bring
news of arts
what befell
to the part
of the infidel ?
Will forget
the carousel
of Noel
cannot stand
the medicine
of Rufaièl
the discipline
the prophet
foretell.

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Berhane Selassie (Bob Marley)

I&I Turn Not from it to the Right Hand or to the Left

“But I neither go right nor left. I go straight ahead. I neither can unite P.N.P. nor J.L.P. The two organizations set up to fight against one another. This is why it is called politics. But we don’t business with politics. We the black people have a root. We are not talking about JLP or PNP. We are talking about our real heritage. We are talking about Rasta.”
Interview with Basil Wilson, 1978
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Spiritual Poetry

Cannot Overthrow I&I

“Gamaliel, one learned in the law, warns Israel of their attitude to the apostles and their teaching. ‘Refrain from these men,’ he says, ‘and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.’ And so we see today the Bible with its wonderful message reaching the remotest parts of the earth.” #QHS

Who Am I
to disturb that belief
which johannes guy
blind and stiff
could win my pride
even the priest
of jewish remind
won’t cope with
something so wide
they never seen
Jah say the time
is now and here
I’ve read the sign
they have reached
remotest sides
with Gospel script
modern lines
woudn’t admit
ignorant crime
in global lit
literary shine
education the key
Gideon shrines
will open quick
master is time
history picks
by judgment tides
those who resist
with bias to inquire
they still insist
to lead the fight
I faith persists
in this
eternal fire.

(Taken from our poetical work “Jah Seh The Bible”)

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Haile Selassie I - Testimonies

Dimetri Papapouleas, Head of the University of Athens – 1924

Athens, 19th August 1924

“Your Highness!

It is in the midst of Athens University that the soul of Greece is being revealed. This evening we are pleased to welcome the representative of a people tied to Greece by inseparable ties and by a friendship that is based on ancient historical traditions.

Your Highness’ presence amongst us is apt to strengthen and to renew those memories of 1600 years.

Two Greeks, the sons of Meropius the merchant, Frumentius and Aedesius, were taken prisoner at the Ethiopian seaboard and thus entered the country. They founded the Church of Ethiopia by teaching the country’s inhabitants and by becoming apostles of the faith.

Your Highness, the affection which binds the two countries together began at that time. In the year 325 Athanasius, the great bishop of Christian Greece, bestowed at Alexandria the name of founder of the Church of Ethiopia upon Frumentius and did so with great glory. And he also anointed him bishop of the Ethiopian Church.

Again, in a different context, Heliodorus of Emesa refers to these historical memories in the book of romance which he wrote. In this book he presents the Ethiopian king’s daughter as beautiful and comely.

The Ethiopians were very well known to Homer and to Herodotus who refers to them in his history and to Strabo who speaks about them a great deal in his geography. By virtue of these old traditions the kings of modern Ethiopia have always cultivated true friendship with Greece. Above all, Emperor Yohannes and Emperor Menelik have uttered words of sincere affection for our country in exchanges of letters with the Greek Government.

Your Highness! Our brothers who live in your country are always telling us with feelings of deep gratitude of the welcome and friendship they have encountered among your people. This goes so far that it is virtually granted to them to be like brothers. We are very glad, therefore, to receive today as guest amongst us the representative of this people.

Greek writers, who have described the details of their journeys and whose books are read with benefit, have emphatically shown the extreme natural beauty of Ethiopia. They have described the different kinds of air currents, trees, and leaves as well as the beauty of the sun which, through its light, reveals the beauty of the country.

Your Highness! For a long time now the Greeks have considered everything that is good for your country as their own advantage. Each time they find an opportunity they affirm the thoughts of friendship which they have for the kings of Ethiopia and for the people.

This feeling does not only arise from the friendship which you have for us. What we have achieved in our past history and by our character is due to our respect for the supremeness of learning and complete love of freedom to the point of heroism. Therefore, it is not at all a strange thing for us to consolidate our friendship for the Ethiopian people through the study which our history affords us.

We are aware that Ethiopia’s success in guarding her independence at all times arises from the mountains which have been given to her by nature and which separate her from all the other African countries. It is proper to say that Ethiopia has been the bastion of Christianity for more than a millennium among the savages and pagans in the arid desert. Homer said of the Ethiopians that they excelled above others. Diodorus speaks of their virtue. He admires their fight for their freedom.

At the time of Alexander the Great and his heirs Greek culture had entered Ethiopia and had opened a new road of civilization. It left written monuments (a map) which demonstrate its progress. The Ptolemies and the Byzantine kings desired the Ethiopian people to establish a basis and to extend their rule up to the Red Sea. When Byzantium fought with the Persians, it threw into the battle the might of the Ethiopians. Your Highness’ country was a crossroads and meeting point of the civilized nations in the Mediterranean and Indian areas. Since the Greeks were at that time held in great honour in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian kings are said to have known the Greek language.

According to those who have studied the history of the Ethiopian Church, in the fourth century this Church, strong in its faith, was doing everything that was necessary to enable the Christian religion to spread over all the distant lands in Africa. But the rise of Islam and its constant and progressive growth greatly weakened the strength of the Ethiopian people as Islam defeated, by the force of the sword, the countries in North Africa.

But eventually, defending themselves with the heroism which derives from their nature, the Ethiopians overcame the might of the Muslims. They built once again the Church of Aksum at the place to which the Muslims had set fire. It may be said that the rebuilding of this Church is a great good fortune and luck for Ethiopia.

By the intelligence of its kings and rulers since the last century, this country has once again taken the road of renewal. It is this road of renewal that is leading this beloved and courageous people towards national unity in equality.

The University of Athens, at this place where the leaders of the Greek people are assembled, greets the courageous ruler of the Ethiopian people, the son of Makonnen.

The Greek people request that you will accept their best wishes for the prosperity of the Ethiopian people as well as their firm resolve for a progressive strengthening of the ties of friendship which exist between the two nations.”