Bob Marled- The Spark That Lit The Restaurant flame A martyr in my opinion is one who willingly suffers death suffers death rather than renounce his/ her religion. Bob Marled, born Robert Nests Marled, is certainly an icon that personifies this definition of a martyr as he willingly gave his life as a sign of commitment to his beloved Registrar movement. The Registrar movement is a monotheistic, new religion that originated in Truncheon, the main ghetto of Kingston.
A Rasa, follower of the Registrar movement, also regards Hailed Salaries I of Ethiopia as God incarnate of the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and regards Africa or Zion” as the original birthplace of all mankind. Early Roasts believed in black supremacy but since Hailed Salaries I of Ethiopia explicitly condemned racism; Roasts disregard racial animosities with peace and harmony being common themes. In this study, I hope to demonstrate that Bob Marbles decision to deem the tenets of the Registrar movement more significant than life itself characterize him as a martyr.
Bob Marled was born a Christian, but he was drawn to the Registrar Movement when he was away from his mother’s influence. Marbles faith in the Registrar movement ND Hailed Salaries meant that he was a promoter of peace and harmony that divergently contradicted the violent socio-political conditions in Jamaica. Consequently Marled identified Reggae music as his weapon his combat this violence and hence based songs such as “War” and “No More Trouble” on promoting peace and condemning wars such as the Vietnam War.
Marled also disregarded race as a meaner of distinction once famously stating, “Me don’t dip on nobody’s side. Me don’t dip on the black man’s side or the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side” thus illustrating his sincere and wholehearted commitment to the Registrar movement. Bob Marled also used his music to spread the teachings of the Registrar movement through songs such as “Iron Lion Zion” promote his Rasa belief of celebrating Africa as the birthplace of all mankind and his music also promoted racial equality as he enthused black pride back into the hearts of the enslaved Jamaican populous.
Bob Marbles most significant efforts for peace were done through his reggae concerts and two of his most important concerts, “Smile Jamaica” and the “One Love Peace Concert” were aimed at reducing the political unrest and violence that plagued Jamaica in the ass’s. Smile Jamaica” was a free concert organized by then Prime Minister Michael Manley in 1976 to ease tensions between warring political parties however rival party members saw this as a rally for Manley and hence shot Marled and his wife two days prior to the concert.
However Marled performed the concert injured citing the reason to be that if “The people who are trying to make this place worse aren’t taking a day off, how can l. ” Therefore Marbles commitment to facilitating peace and harmony in Jamaica has lead to the Jamaican and global community identifying him as a symbol for Jamaica and peace. Marled let Jamaica in 1 6 only to return in 1 8 to perform at the “One Love Peace Concert” during a civil war between Jamaican Labor Party LOP) and People’s National Party (PEN).
The two leaders, Michael Manley and Edward Saga of the PEN and SLP respectively, had hired gangsters to increase their hold on the nation and this concert was aimed to curb the erupting violence in Jamaica. The concert peaked when Marled was playing the song “Jamming” when he asked the two political leaders to shake hands and to focus towards achieving peace in Jamaica. It is important to tote that this was the last time that they shook hands before Marbles funeral in 1981 thus demonstrating that even in death Bob Marled had the impact to expedite the peace process in Jamaica.
Consequently these two concerts coupled with the thousands of others that Marled performed serve as a precedent to establish that Marbles life and music we’re used to promote peace in his homeland as well as Hailed Classis’s Registrar beliefs in establishing communal and global peace. Bob Marbles fell victim to sacral lengthiness melanoma, a kind of skin cancer that was found due to a soccer injury to his tow. Doctors could have saved his life if they amputated his toe, but Marbles Registrar religion compelled him to adhere strongly to the tenets of the religion that includes the belief that amputation is sinful.
Roasts allude to Leviticus 21 :5 as evidence for this claim as it states that, “They shall not make baldness on their heads, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cutting in the flesh”(Leviticus 21. 5) and hence it is this commitment to his religion in the face of death that persuades one proves that Bob Marled was a martyr that died for his religion. Another Registrar belief that Marled upheld was the action that death is not a certainty in Rationalism’s and the truly holy people can gain immortality.
Hence Marled believed that by agreeing to the amputation, he was making death certain and losing his chance to gain immortality in their physical bodies. This is also cited by many as the reason why he did not leave a will and hence creating chaos with regards to the distribution of his assets. Marbles decision to regard the tenets of Rationalism’s over his own life portrays him to be the quintessential martyr who dies for his cause. For all his peace efforts, the Jamaican and music community have amortized Marled as a symbol of peace.
The Jamaican community has recognized Marled as a martyr who died a staunch and stubborn supporter of the Registrar movement and absolute communal harmony. The Jamaican community has amortized Marbles dreadlocks as a symbol of the Registrar community and the promotion of these dreadlocks since Marbles death in the Jamaican community is symbolic representation of this community promotion of Marbles Registrar beliefs. Another community that has made Bob Marled is the cannabis consuming smoking community, as they view Marled as an icon who fought for the legalization and use of Arizona.
Rationalism’s often refer to Psalm 104:14 which states that, “He cachets the grass for the cattle and herb for the service of man”(Psalm 104. 14) as a testament to the Bible promoting the use of cannabis and hence Marled promoted this doctrine of his religion. Marbles opposition to many governments banning the substance and his support for this cause till his death caused the cannabis community to recognize him as a martyr who d deed testing the cause to legalization. Even though some labeled him a dope fiend, Bob Marble’s competence in achieving his goals through his music cannot go unnoticed.
Marbles social and religious commitments and contributions in Jamaica has led to him being commemorated as a martyr who died a stalwart supporter of peace and the man who put the Registrar movement on the map. Many view Marbles death as being unnecessary but his decision to decline the amputation that could have saved his life in order to uphold his Registrar beliefs demonstrates his dedication and devotion to his faith; this election on his part has made him a martyr in the eyes of millions around the world today. Works Cited 1 . Dixon, Meredith. “Lovers and Children of the Natural Mystic: The Story of Bob