Please read the email below and the reasoning that follows. Then send any feedforward on this to I at admin@rastaites. Please put Speech in the subject line and let me know if it is alright to publish the I words.

The following speech has been circulating the internet as being that of Qdamawi Haile Selassie:

"The temple of the most high begins with the human body, which houses our life, essence of our existence. Africans are in bondage today because they approach spirituality through Religion provided by foreign invaders and conquerors. 

We must stop confusing religion and spirituality. Religion is a set of rules, regulations and rituals created by humans which were supposed to help people grow spiritually. Due to human imperfection religion has become corrupt, political, divisive and a tool for power struggle.

Spirituality is not theology or ideology. It is simply a way of life, pure and original as was given by the Most High. Spirituality is a network linking us to the Most high, the universe and each other. As the essence of our existence it embodies our culture, true identity, nationhood and destiny. 

A people without a nation they can really call their own is a people without a soul. Africa is our nation and is in spiritual and physical bondage because her leaders are turning to outside forces for solutions to African problems when everything Africa needs is within her. When African righteous people come together, the world will come together. This is our devine destiny."

 

An interesting and sincere opinion reasoning, and yet although some may have set their heart on this speech as to ascribe it to the Emperor, it most certainly is NOT the words of HIM, and here I give thanks for the opportunity to qualify this claim - that is to say that I have done much scholarly work related to the speeches of HIM over a period of over two decades.

These works include the studying of the major body of HIM's speeches, as well as an intensive study of the autobiography (Vols.1 and 2), and both of these read entirely twice and in sections countless times. Many speeches have come down through several sources - some obscure, but all without exception have been dated and ascribed to a particular occasion.

Also, in the spirit of I protest, I would add as a side note about His Majesty's speech protocol. Speeches were reviewed and edited under strict guidance so that word for word clarity should be attained. This was obvious and apparent and perhaps also the mitigating reason for the choice by the throne to employ the services of Sir Edward Ullendorf as a translator of the Autobiography, as this man was a master of Amharic to English translation in trust of HIM ( it was remarked in the introduction of the autobiography how closely to Amharic sentence syntax of Mr. Ullendorf's translation was translated, often skewing the syntax of English sentence structure of the translation, but not the meaning of the Emperor's thoughts. this was not projected to be a problem for the English reader but would serve to capture more of the essence of Amharic thought and feel). The published edition of HIM's autobiography is unique in this regard; all other known speeches were translated in ways which would be consistent with correct English and sentence structure and therefore, because of certain translation difficulties in those cases, word for word translation was not applied; the point being that great care was taken in this process that the meaning and intention of the Emperor were not obscured.

I man endorse this protocol in principle to say that revising history is lying. it also may hide some unforseen difficulties for future generations.

I do recommend the "Selected Speeches of HIM Haile Selassie I" in it you will find a section concerning OUTSIDE (missionary) work done in Africa and HIM's ideas concerning these activities the passages may be found on pp. 641 - 643, section title TO ALL-AFRICA LUTHERAN CONFERENCE.

Frankly, after the first sentence, I could tell that this was NOT the content of Janhoy. To I it come more like Ben Yochanan or J. H. Clarke

Thankful

FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION:

And now as ever, I man am joyed over the new light this day, as I was scanning some videos not intending to find what I did, Kibre Amlak! -

It appears that this speech is partially the thoughts and wordsound of one EDMUND JEROME VASSELL, the editor of iblack.ca

His video oration is her in WOJ vid section, also I found a blog entry of an associate and confidant of Ato Vassell, who presents a verbatim discourse which has additional words and leaves out some words; this is an evidence that this so-called "words of HIM" has been grafted from several sources, not necessarily from Bro Vassel himself, so even in his interest, there MAY even be a cause to investigate plagerism against his knowledge (?)

Here is a link to the blog

Now I have attempted to reach the bredrin through his site; I await a rasponse forward

I give thanks for the Ingel of justice and correction to have delivered to I vision, to deliver to I computer, to cause I to find, to clarify, and cause I to transmit, unto the greater glory of truth power

forward

I forwarded this email to certain idrens to see if they could shed any light on this matter. Here are some of the replies.

Greetings in the Most Holy Name of Negus Mesih Qadamawi Haile Sellassie, the Almighty in Flesh
Kibir le Ab wo le Wold wo le Menifs Kdus Ahadu Amlak Amin

It is so appreciable that the words of the King be treated with the highest respect and thus their authenticity be determined with such accuracy. For this, one should give thanks for the spirit underlining the investigation presented in the mail of our own brethren.

In my humble opinion, however, as much as the authenticity of these words is not yet demonstrated, so the contrary neither is. Personally I was aware since years that there was no official source attributing those words to the King. I have search for many years within old sources from the period without any result. This seems significant since I too possess many speeches still unpublished in the main collections. This is the reason why I and InI brethrens chose not to include this speech in our publications.

On the other hand, however, it is evident to me that -contrary to what the brethren said- the specific teaching included in the speech would not be in anyway contrasting with the general teaching of the King. In this that speech differs, for example, from the interview with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, which according to my research is a manipulated source and thus contains many teachings contrasting with the known teachings of the King. Yet this interview is general quoted within Rastafari publications. Since the spirituality speech seems not to contrast with the King's divine mind, I think there is reason not to express an ultimate opinion on the matter. As I said, I would not publish it right now, but I do not exclude that it could be the King's speech. I have a lot of examples in my own research of speeches that I heard quoted and then I found the source only after many years. An example of this is the speech of the King against alcohol, uttered on the inauguration of the HSI Stadium. For years I was searching for the authentic source and then only recently I found it in a governmental book of the time.

The fact that that speech is quoted by Bro. Vassell is in itself no proof at all in this sense. Indeed I was not able to find the video spoken about. However, as Vassell himself is a brethren in the faith, it would only be normal for him to quote a King's speech.

I think this speech appeared for the first time within the Rastafari community in a booklet from the Malawi community entitled "Members of a New Race". I saw this book years ago and it was from the 80's or early 90's. After that, as it is maybe known the speech was adapted by Mutabaruka to compose a poem.

Thus, I think it is important to take in consideration the fact that the first to quote the speech were the brethren from Malawi. The content of the speech also would suggest that, if pronounced by the King, it was pronounced in a visit to an African country. Thus maybe the answer is found in the documents from State visits in Malawi. It was for example in Malawi that the King uttered a speech entitled Africa for the Africans; I found this speech not in the main collections but in a book called Emperor World's Tour 1963. I know there are some records on visits in Malawi, but I think one would need to access the full documentation. If anybody has the oportunity, I think this would be a good starting point for our research.

Buruk Fikkir, Kibir le Amlak

In response to the above email from Ras Iyared, I contacted Bro. Paliani in Malawi to see if he could tell me if that is where the speech was made. This is his reply: 

"My Good Sista,

Well it has been a while without hearing from you...It was great indeed to read your writings once more.

Well, to respond to your e-mail, I would say yes i have read that speech and my overstanding all along has been that it was made by HIM.

However I am quite sure that this speech was NOT made by HIM in Malawi. He must have uttered these words else where other than in Malawi. By the way why does the brethren you are talking about think that this speech was not made by HIM? Would you please enlighten me further about the source of this debate you had with the brethren.

Paliani

Here is a response from Ras Kwende 

Hail and Greetings to all Is in the Name of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I.

 

It is very good that this topic has arisen, even though there's a very distasteful element surrounding it.  I agree that we are on safer ground when we quote HIM from His Publications - 

1.  The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Selassie I, “My Life and Ethiopia’s Progress”: (a) Volume 1, translated by E Ullendorff, (b) Volume 2, translated by Ezekiel Gebissa; edited and annotated by Harold Marcus,        
2. Selected Speeches of HIM Haile Selassie I ,  also published as “The Third Testament – The Ilect Verses of Emperor Haile Selassie I”, by Headstart Publishing (Ja)     
3.  Important Utterances of HIM Emperor Haile Selassie I, and other Official publications and known certified interviews. 

       I-self do not know the source or date of this "Speech" but I have a booklet with it in it.  This booklet is named after one of HIM's Speech and titled "Members of a New Race - Teachings of HIM Haile Selassie I", published by Junior "Ista J" Manning of Rasta Vibration Production (undated - but I have had it for several years now).  

       The "said Speech" is now being used by some to promote the increasing denial of religion within the Movemant; that Rastafari is not a religion. I have never overstood this stance.  I could overs if we did not want to use the English/European/Babylonian word once we have found and agreed InI own word.  But the idea or thought of "religion" seems to be the objection.  His Majesty, however, identifies with religion.

       InI rightly say that Rastafari is a LIVITY, a Way of Life.  If a one asks I, "What kinda livity you live?" I will respond, "Rastafari Livity", which I would describe as a "Religious Livity".  Religion is simply an orderly system of acknowledging Jah RasTafari for man ina society.  Without an ordered system, 'anything goes', making it easier to suit personal whims and temptations.     Hear His Majesty on the topic:

 

"To make our will obedient to good influences and to avoid evil, therefore, is to show the greatest wisdom.  In order to follow this aim one must be guided by religion.  Progress without religion is just like a life surrounded by unknown perils and can be compared to a body without a soul.  It is only when the human mind is guided by religion and morality that man can acquire the necessary vision to put all his ingenious inventions and contrivances to really useful and beneficial purposes… It is important that spiritual advancement must keep pace with material advancement… Only then shall we be able to acquire that absolute inner calm so necessary to our well-being.  It is only when a people strike an even balance between scientific progress and spiritual and moral advancement that it can be said to possess a wholly perfect and complete personality and not a lopsided one.”  ("Progress Must be Moral": Selected Speeches, p662: April 5, 1948 & Interview in The Voice of Ethiopia)

Peace, patience, perseverance and prosperity in InI Nation.

Ras Kwende

www.kwemara.co.uk

Please send any feedforward on this to I at admin@rastaites. Please put Speech in the subject line and let me know if it is alright to publish your words.