The Rastafarian community is shocked at the outcry about a t-shirt that was given to Major-General Vearey by his kids as a Father’s day gift. We feel that the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Culture, Religious and Linguistic Communities need to step in and protect the Rights of the Rastafarian Community.

Jeremy Veary

Rasta Beat request a public apology from Mark Wiley, DA Western Cape Spokesperson for Community Safety as he announced live on Voice of the Cape a Muslim Radio Station on the 25th of June 2013 at 08h15 am that he is not happy with the t shirt and the fact that he refer to the word RASTAFARI that was inappropriate and the leaf that represent Dagga is a drug. “On Monday, during a public march to Parliament, General Vearey, the cluster commander in Mitchell’s Plain, wore a red T-shirt with an image of a large dagga-leaf printed on it together with the word Rastafarian,” said Wiley.

“It is no secret that the Rastafarian community openly uses and promotes dagga. Dagga is a prohibited substance and for a senior police staff officer to be seen associating himself with this drug is nothing short of scandalous.”

The South African Constitution Chapter 9 Functions of Commission page 96 185. (b) to promote and develop peace, friendship, humanity, tolerance and national unity among cultural, religious and linguistic communities, on the basis of equality, non-discrimination and free association,

We need the Image of Rastafarian to be RESTORED with immediate effect. Dagga is a Herb it was created by the most High God it was not cooked in a lab but created by nature. We need to respect Muslims and Islam Rasta’s and Rastafarian; it’s practices including Dagga with tolerance for Humanity and Equality.

The T-Shirt in question represents RASTAFARI symbols, Red Gold Green and the word RASTAFARIAN with a DAGGA LEAF.

We ask for the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Culture, Religious and Linguistic Communities to step in and protect the Rights of the Rastafarian Community. The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) is an institution established in terms of section 181(1)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Commission is established generally to support constitutional democracy, and in particular to promote and protect the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities.

Rasta Beat will take this matter to the Constitutional Court and lodge a complaint at Equality Courts if Mr. Mark Wiley does not apologize to the RASTAFARIAN Community publicly within seven days.

Rasta Beat trusts the Commission will understand the seriousness of this matter and take action without delay.

By Dieter Walbrugh

http://www.simplylinks.co.za/article5301_rastafarian-community-discriminated-by-the-state.htm