Rastafarianism, which had its beginnings in Jamaica in the 1930s, is among non-Christian religious groups who appear to be gaining ground in, of all places, the British army, according to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report.

The BBC report singled out Capt Kidane Cousland as the first officer of Rastafarian faith in the British commandos, saying he went on to set up the Defence Rastafari Network to help support other Rastafarians in the military.

“I don’t remember a time not wanting to join the army,” says 30-year-old Capt Cousland. “All the toys I had were little commando toys or Rambo bandanas. It just felt part of my internal narrative for as long as I can remember,” he disclosed to the news network.

Cousland joined the army in 2008 at age 18, completing his basic training in Harrogate before going on to be posted to 29 Commando Regiment and earning his “green lid” or beret, which is only worn by Royal Marines or other personnel from the army, Navy or RAF [Royal Air Force] who have completed the gruelling commando course.

But he confessed that at the beginning he and his family had serious reservations about him joining the army, fearing possible prejudice because he was black, noting: “I’m a Rasta, I’m a Londoner, I’m British, but at the time those things didn’t cohabit naturally. I don’t think people expected you to be a Rasta and also want to join the British military.”

However, Cousland, who said he didn’t learn to read until he was 11 and suffered racism in Tottenham and other parts of London where he lived, found the going smoother and that things started to align for him once he joined the army.

BBC said he did a tour of Afghanistan in 2010 and despite not having the necessary qualifications was later recommended for officer training at Sandhurst. There he was awarded the Sword of Honour in 2016, given to the best officer cadet on the course. He rose to the position of adjutant in the 29 Commando Regiment, looking after more than 400 commandos.

In 2021 he was awarded an Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his work setting up and building the Defence Rastafari Network in 2017 to support serving Rastafarians in the military.

Cousland believes that there doesn’t need to be friction between faith and service, according to the news outlet. But he acknowledged that Rastafarianism is a faith that is sometimes still misunderstood, even trivialised.

“It’s caricatured as: ‘They smoke marijuana’; ‘They have long hair’ ; and ‘They’re all Jamaican’. That’s just a lazy stereotype and, obviously, it’s not the case. That’s why the network [is] so important, because everyone has a right to express their faith without bias,” BBC quoted him as saying.

When he first joined the army, he was told by the recruiting sergeant that he couldn’t join “with that hair”, so he cut his dreadlocks, which some Rastafarians vow never to do.

But since the creation of the Defence Rastafari Network, the dress regulations have been amended to allow Rastafarian soldiers to wear a full beard, dreadlocks, and turban, which is required by some denominations.

Recruitment into the army from other religions, including members of the Rastafarian faith, has increased by more than 150 per cent in recent years from 500 in April 2017 to 1,280 in October 2021, BBC reported.

— Desmond Allen