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RasTafari Church Issues Cease and Desist, Demands Indigenous Recognition & Reparatory Justice in Response to Tourism Bill


The Haile Selassie I JAH Ras Tafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church:

Historical Mandate and Modern Mission


The Haile Selassie I JAH Ras Tafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church stands as a sovereign spiritual institution, rooted in divine authority and codified in Jamaican law.


The Church was formally established through a special Bill passed in the Jamaica House of Legislature, under the directive of Queen Elizabeth II, following repeated appeals by Ras Tafari Elders.


These elders had long attempted to register the Church through the Companies Office of Jamaica, but were consistently met with resistance, bureaucratic delays, and institutional discrimination—reflective of a broader pattern of marginalization of the Ras Tafari community by the Jamaican Government.




This legislative act was not merely symbolic; it represented an essential legal and spiritual victory for the Ras Tafari nation, affirming its right to worship, organize, and self-govern in accordance with its ancient Ethiopian heritage and prophetic tradition.


Today, the Church steps forward in its role as spiritual authority, cultural guardian, and legal advocate, to speak on behalf of the human, economic, and spiritual rights of the Ras Tafari community and all indigenous peoples across Jamaica and the wider African diaspora in the 6th Region of the African Union. As conditions for these communities continue to deteriorate under systemic inequality, institutional neglect, and socio-economic disenfranchisement, the Church affirms its sacred duty to intervene, advocate, and act.


This press release outlines a renewed mission of engagement—calling for collaborative action, policy reform, and restorative justice to secure a future of dignity, sovereignty, and opportunity for our people.


📰 OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Issued by: The Haile Selassie I Church for RasTafari and Indigenous Peoples

Date: July 4, 2025


JAH RasTafari Church Issues Cease and Desist, Demands Indigenous Recognition and Reparatory Justice in Response to Jamaica’s Tourism Bill


Kingston, Jamaica – In direct response to the recently proposed Tourism Bill by the Government of Jamaica, the Haile Selassie I Jah Rastafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church, on behalf of Ras Tafrians and indigenous peoples in the 6th Region of the African Union, issues a formal Cease and Desist Order and calls for the full restoration of Indigenous status, land rights, beach access, and reparations to all verified members of the RasTafari Church and community.


The Church rejects the commodification of RasTafari symbols, ceremonies, sacred sites, and cultural practices under the framework of the Jamaican tourism economy. It declares that any further exploitation of the RasTafari identity, likeness, or sacred traditions without written and lawful consent constitutes cultural theft and spiritual desecration.


“Our culture is not for sale. We are not attractions—we are a sovereign Indigenous nation with divine lineage and sacred rights. We call on the Government of Jamaica to cease its attempts to profit from our image and identity without proper respect, representation, or restitution,” said Empress Zaria, Sovereign Priestess NYan Ko Pong Government and Secretary for of the Haile Selassie I JAH RasTafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church


🔴 Key Demands of the Church:


1. Immediate Cease and Desist: From all unauthorized use of RasTafari names, likenesses, music, symbols, and sacred practices by government ministries, tourism agencies, and private businesses.

2. Indigenous Recognition: As African Indigenous Peoples under international law, including issuance of official IDs, access to traditional lands, and protection from police targeting or displacement.

3. Land and Beach Access: Return of ancestral sites and sacred coastal areas to Church and community stewardship.

4. Reparations & Cultural Restoration: Establishment of a Reparations Fund for historical harm and exclusion, to be governed by RasTafari elders and community leaders.

5. Representation and Inclusion: RasTafari representatives must have a seat at the table in all cultural, legislative, and economic discussions impacting their heritage.


This declaration also places regional bodies like CARICOM and international stakeholders on notice, as the Church prepares to escalate the matter to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the African Union’s 6th Region Diaspora Council.


“We are invoking our divine right and international protections as Indigenous Peoples. This is not merely political—it is spiritual, ancestral, and just.”


So let it be written, so let it be done.


🔗 Media Contact:


Karen Francis (Empress Zaria)

Sovereign Priestess Nyah Ko Pong Nation

Haile Selassie I JAH Rastafari Royal Ethiopian Judah Coptic Church

For RasTafari and Indigenous Peoples in the 6th Region of the African Union

Secretary

📞 Phone: 876-816-1953

🌐 Website: www.EmpressZaria.com





 
 
 

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