Are Rastafarians misunderstood in Africa?
When you hear the word Rastafarian, what do you think of?
The Rastafarian religion developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, but what do you know about it?
BBC listener Bright Quaye-Sowah is a Rastafarian and feels that he and others like him are misunderstood.
The Ghanaian says he feels stigmatised because of his beliefs and way of life.
"When children see me, they run away," he says.
"The general public don't seem to like us, but we are all about love and loving one another."
Are Rastafarians misunderstood where you are? If so, why?
How can this stigma that Bright Quaye-Sowah talks about be overcome?
If you would like to debate this topic LIVE on air on Wednesday November 10 at 1600 GMT, please include a telephone number. It will not be published.
Comment number 1.
At 13:54 11th Nov 2010, Kingsley wrote:Rastafarians have been misunderstood in Africa due to few men joining the movement. If you do not comb your hair, does not mean that you should be untiredy. Smoking cannabis inappropriately, all in the name of Rastafarian is unacceptable. Cannabis is illegal in most places around the world and the inappropriate behaviour of some men which they attach to cannabis smoking in inappropriately places is also unaccepted in many places around the world. All these negative attitude of some men are destroying the image of Rastafarians and misunderstood it content in Africa.
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Comment number 2.
At 16:33 11th Nov 2010, Adokters wrote:I know the Rastafarian movement began in Jamaica. Emperor Haile Salassie was seen as God here on earth. They grow their hair into dreaklocks, use herbs and live an earthly ans simple (down to earth) life. People say lots of negative things about them. But once you get close to a Rastafarian your negative thinking about them would change
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