The Spontaneous Legalized Religious Transmogrification In Our Senior High Schools: A case of Rastafarianism

Your Ladyship,

I hope this harmless article doesn't precipitate contempt proceedings against me. Due to this preceding notion, I will tread cautiously with my choice of words in order not to induce such licit proceedings against my amazing self.

It is worth noting the fact that in the annals of jurisprudence, citizens of every country are entitled to express their opinions about legal judgements and that's exactly what I seek to do with this written piece.

Your Ladyship, I was completely startled and overly bewildered when you granted the relief that Rastafarianism is a Religion and that Tyron Iras Marhguy (Herein the Applicant) subscribes to the tenets of the Rastafarian Religion and hence has the right to manifest his religion due to his legal right to religion and to education.

With the greatest of respect for your ladyship, I was caught in such a conundrum because growing up the curriculum for Religious and Moral Education never spelt out Rastafarianism as a religion. We were only introduced to the concept of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Indigenous Traditional Religion etc as the acceptable religions within the Ghanaian enclave.

Your Ladyship, in my candid opinion, Rastafarianism is only a culture. A way of life some people who have decided to keep dreadlocks have chosen to live. To me, keeping dreadlocks has no direct correlation with religious practices.

We must also not lose sight of the fact that human rights must be in tandem with some responsibilities. Schools as educational entities have their regulations architecture which ought to be respected by our legal regime.

Your Ladyship, your ruling may set a bad precedence going forward as it will open the floodgates for all sorts of "religious nonsense" in our traditional Senior High School system.

Your Ladyship, respectfully, I don't see your prescription (judgement) being applied in any serious culture-oriented jurisdiction such as ours. Our culture and morals have transcended many generations and it will be completely suicidal for us to entertain such alien culture within our Traditional High School system.

In fact, Rastafarianism has no place in our traditional Senior High School Landscape and that is why there are private Senior High Schools where such cultures are embraced.

To me, the best antidote to this religio-education quagmire that we currently find ourselves in is for the constitutionality or otherwise of this subject matter to be tested at the Supreme Court in order to lay the matter to rest for good.

"Long Live Mother Ghana"

Nana Antwi Boasiako Barimah