Haile Selassie is revered as the religious symbol for God incarnate among the Rastafari movement, the number of followers is estimated between 200,000 and 800,000.[8][9] Begun in Jamaica in the 1930s, the Rastafarian movement perceives Haile Selassie as a messianic figure who will lead the peoples of Africa and the African diaspora to a golden age of peace, righteousness, and prosperity.[10]
Notable individuals
Bob Marley · Walter Rodney · Mutabaruka
Emperor of Ethiopia
Born 23 July 1892
Religion Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian
Rastafari movement
Main doctrines
Jah · Afrocentrism · Ital · Zion · Cannabis use
Central figures
Jesus Christ · Haile Selassie · Marcus Garvey · Leonard Howell · God
Key scriptures
Bible · Kebra Nagast · The Promise Key · Holy Piby · My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress · Royal Parchment Scroll of Black Supremacy
Branches and festivals
Mansions · United States · Shashamane · Grounation Day
See also:
Vocabulary · Persecution · Dreadlocks · Reggae · Ethiopian Christianity · I
At the League of Nations in 1936, the Emperor’s condemnation of the use of chemical weapons against his people was a pivotal moment in the onset of World War II, as well as a foreshadowing of the “barbarism” which was to come.[4] His internationalist views led to Ethiopia becoming a charter member of the United Nations, and his political thought and experience in promoting multilateralism and collective security have proved seminal and enduring.[5] His suppression of rebellions among the nobles (mekwannint), as well as what some perceived to be Ethiopia’s failure to modernize adequately,[6] earned him criticism among some contemporaries and historians.[7]