November 3, 2003: Rastafarians in Tortola for a weeklong summit praised the new government for revoking a law banning their entry to the British Virgin Islands. The 23-year-old "Rasta Law," removed in August, ordered immigration authorities to refuse entry to Rastafarians and "hippies," most commonly identified by their dreadlocks.

We congratulate all Rastafarians who have successfully opposed the law. The petition campaign at GoPetition, Liberate Dreadlocks In The BVI outlines the issues.

Rastafarianism emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, with the descendants of slaves angry over colonial oppression of blacks and attempting to reconnect with their African roots. The religion was popularized in the 1970s through reggae artists such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.

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