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| (Haile Selassie I) |
That is because Haile Selassie I, born Tafari Makonnen, is believed by many Rastafari to be the Lion of Zion, Messiah, Power of the Trinity, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Elect of God. With attributes like these, he’s also likely to be eternal.
Why do Rastafari believe in Haile Selassie I’s divinity? According to an article by Stephen Woodward, Selassie was the leader of a country long “steeped through the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in biblical myths.” This alleged “mythology” included the beliefs that Ethiopia is the actual Zion, and that Selassie is a descendent of King David through Solomon’s alliance with Makeda (the Queen of Sheba). Selassie’s aforementioned titles were seen as descriptions of his true identity – plus, he was “the one independent African leader in a world dominated by white men” (which was tantamount to “miraculous” in the eyes of many).
For a number of Rastafari, Selassie was just not meant to ever die. After Selassie was ousted from power by a military coup, he was imprisoned. When word of his death was later released - allegedly from complications of prostate surgery – some believed that he was actually assassinated. His alleged remains were not discovered until 1992 - and it wasn’t until the year 2000 (due to a “protracted court case” concerning the “mysterious circumstances of his death”) that a funeral was finally held.
Some well-known Rastafari - such as Rita Marley, Bob Marley’s widow - attended this funeral. Others refused to because they believed that divine Selassie could never die. Wikipedia reports that there are also Rastafari, such as The Twelve Tribes of Israel, who believe that Selassie was a divinely-appointed king rather than the Christ incarnate.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie_I
http://newhistories.group.shef.ac.uk/wordpress/wordpress/?p=925
Copyright July 23, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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