By Danielle Lobito
The current internet and media debate on the book and television character Rastamouse has sparked a BBC (CBeebies) race row. Some people think Rastamouse is a racist children’s character that was programmed to ridicule black people. Over 100 adult viewers have complained to the BBC. Some parents in Britain assume that their kids could mimic Rastamouse’s Jamaican patois slangs and end up in racial fights with other children.
Poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah joined the race row when he told the Birmingham Mail.net that, “On the whole, I’d rather have Rastamouse than not.” He is in favour of Rastamouse as a Rasta although he pointed out that most people would have preferred a lion character than that of a mouse.
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On the other hand, Rastafarianism is a religion and it is not really fair to characterize a mouse or rodent as a Rasta. Most importantly, Rastafari is more identifiable with a lion aka the lion of Judah. Would Hindu worshippers allow any TV channel to characterize their religious animal God, the sacred cow as a puppet or replace it with a mouse? Would the Muslims see a Muslim rodent TV character that eats pork without carrying out demonstrations? Of course, Rastamouse was not racially created to intimidate specific people but that does not mean that it has not caused a racial stereotype.
American rapper and actor Ice-T played detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Even Wikipedia says the name was derived from a character in Nigerian author, Amos Tutuola’s book: The Palm Wine Drinkard, but have Yoruba people challenged the scriptwriter or found it racially degrading? The racial element may not arise if it lacks religious dogmatism.
The Race Relations Act 1976 (RRA 1976) did not always help to curb racial discrimination in “employment, the provision of goods and services, education and public functions.” RRA 1976 was replaced by the Equality Act 2010. In the days of yore, Rastafarians went through ‘hell’ in the employment sector. Apart from being a religion or way of life, Rastafari is also a movement against oppression and racism.
Under the RRA 1976, the employer was not often liable for harassment by a third party and discrimination by association, on racial grounds, were not always discriminatory; although in Showboat Entertainment Centre Ltd v Owens [1984] 1 AII ER 836, a white employee was instructed by his employer not to allow black people into an amusement centre and the Employment Appeal Tribunal dismissed the employer's appeal.
In the case Zarczynska v levy [1978] IRLR 532, a white barmaid was dismissed for failing to stop serving black people. It was held that she was not the one discriminated upon, neither was her dismissal discriminatory.
Mrs Sargent, a receptionist that worked in a car and van call centre was told to carry out unlawful discrimination against Asian and coloured people by telling them that cars and vans were unavailable for rental business in Weathersfield v Sargent [1999] IRLR 94, but she won the constructive dismissal case on racial grounds.
In Irving v Post Office [1987] IRLR 289, a postman had a disagreement with his black neighbours and wrote “Go back to Jamaica Sambo” on the envelope of a letter addressed to them. The Court of Appeal dismissed the black neighbours’ claims and ruled that the post office was not liable for “racially abusive words”.
In Dawkins v Department of the Environment (29 January 1993) EOR49C, the Court of Appeal holds that Rastafarians are not a group defined by reference to "ethnic origins" and therefore not a "racial group" within the meaning of s.3(1) of the Race Relations Act 1976.
—Equal Opportunities Review
The Sikhs and Jews are accepted as racial groups but the Sikhs actually fought for their rights because they were not initially accepted. Mandla v Dowell Lee [1983] 2 AC 548, HL was a significant case because the House of Lords reversed the Court of Appeal ruling and stated that Sikhs were protected under RRA 1976.
The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 is among the major, nine pieces of anti-discrimination legislation, incorporated into the Equality Act 2010. The Employment Equality (Religion or belief) Regulations 2003 is the implementation of the European Union Directive 2000/78/EC. It prohibits the direct and indirect discrimination of employees on religion or belief grounds and lack of either. It also includes protection from victimization and harassment.
Due to years of battling employment discrimination, some Rastas kept away from jobs in the civil service, most private establishments and opted for the reggae music industry as entertainers and entrepreneurs. Some became the downtrodden.
This should not be the time to bring a controversial race row that could tamper with the psychological wounds of organizational injustice. The Religious and Human Rights of people should be acknowledged, rather than be casted aside, simply because black people should be represented on British television.
Tinie Tempah Wins Awards, 'Loses' 22 Carat Gold Phone
Rapper Tinie Tempah aka Patrick Okogwu, 22, won two Brit Awards 2011. He won the British Single and British Breakthrough Act for his fabulous single, Pass Out.
At the Brit Awards, he was photographed with two mobile phones, one of which was reportedly received at the ceremony. According to media reports, Tinie Tempah lost his 'limited edition 22 carat gold-plated inscribed Blackberry smartphone,' after the event and Rihanna’s phone number. It means that he may not be able to phone 23 year old Rihanna. Win some, lose some?
The rapper with over 1 million fans on facebook went to the Brit Awards with his parents. Rihanna won the International Solo Artist award while Justin Bieber, 16, won the International Breakthrough Act etc.
Tinie Tempah Lost Rihanna's Number After BRITs
Facebook Fans: Tinie Tempah “Passes” 1 Million
