Dear Editor,

Anybody who is familiar with the Rastafari faith knows that Babylon, which is supposed to be the present world order, is its mortal enemy. We constantly have our Rastafarian musicians and others berating Babylon and its many evils. However, while many of them continue to preach against Babylon, very few of them are actually practising what they preach.

When Rastafari first started decades ago, there was some merit to its call for us “Africans” to separate ourselves from Babylon. Babylon was seen as the white man’s system — the system that is bent on holding us black people down. While this was not entirely true then, it is definitely not true now.

In separating themselves from Babylon, many Rastafarians have adopted a lifestyle they refer to as “the livity”. I must confess, though, that I am still not sure what this livity is supposed to be. If it is supposed to be different from our “Babylonian” lifestyle, then they surely have fooled me.

Rastafarians are in every field, they have completely integrated in this Babylon system. They are doctors, professors, teachers, chefs, bankers, and the rest. However, while I must admit that I have yet to see a Rastafarian policeman or barber, they have proven themselves to be as capable as anybody else. So, in spite of their “livity”, they seem to be as normal and “Babylonian” as the rest of us.

Indeed, like the rest of us “Babylonians”, Rastafarians are completely dependent on Babylon. While many Rastafarian musicians sing songs condemning Babylon, they celebrate wildly whenever they win that coveted Babylonian Grammy.

As such, I am calling on Rastafarians to do the logical thing: Do away with this livity pretence that isn’t really fooling anybody and embrace Babylon. Stop biting the hand that feeds. Rastafari must formalise what it has been doing now for a long time; embrace Babylon, embrace your sustainer.

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com