Empress Menen of Ethiopia said something that all those who care about african cultural integrity understand. She said about the colonialists that first, they send missionaries, and afterwards these are followed by mercenaries. These missionaries treat african culture with utter disregard, and disrespect. They would never accept the reverse of what they do to Africans. They openly deal with africans as children who need their schooling to learn about basic life values. Their intention is of course not cultural at all, but mainly the economic plunder of resources. The same applies to african Jews who are being targetted by missionaries. These could be Christian, or even Jewish missionaries.
They are people who treat african Jews as ignoramuses with no culture of their own.
The Beta Israel if Ethiopia were submitted to these tactics by Jews, forcing the Beta Israel to undergo humiliating conversions, until Rabbi Obadia Yosef stepped in with a ruling forbidding these practices of forced conversions.
Igbo Jews of Nigeria have a culture of their own. Yet, they are being targetted by groups of Orthodox, Conservative or Reform rabbis who each try to impose their own culturex on them. The Igbo elders are very concerned by these practices.
The same goes for Lemba Jews of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
They have a distinct cultural heritage. Yet they are often subjected to cultural domination by groups of missionaries who feel no shame in coming to a people with open claims of superiority. Again we repeat that the contrary would never be tolerated by these missionaries. They would never allow an Igbo, a Beta Israel, or a Lemba to
impose their culture upon them to become acceptable human beings.
The elders of these communities are very concerned and asked FJN to help.
warn the members of the different communities about these practices.
African Jewish Culture must be respected
