 "Muhsin Hendricks, first gay imam killed for his support to LGBTQ+ rights")
Muhsin Hendricks, the world’s first Muslim gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa. The 57-year-old was a leading figure who founded a mosque in Cape Town designed to be a safe space for gay Muslims and other marginalised groups, according to a report by BBC.
According to the media reports, Hendricks was gunned down on Saturday morning, when his car was ambushed near Gqeberha, a city in southern South Africa.
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” said police in a statement. This incident can be seen in CCTV footage circulated on social media after the incident.
LGBTQ+ in shock after the incident
The killing of the imam has left the LGBTQ+ community in shock, as they honor him for his courageous and outspoken advocacy for gay rights over the years.
Julia Ehrt, executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), expressed concern that the killing may have been a hate crime. “What we fear may be a hate crime,” she said, urging authorities to fully investigate the incident. Hendricks, who had reportedly officiated at a lesbian wedding just before his death, was well-known for his efforts to help people reconcile their faith with their sexuality.
Hendricks’ foundation, the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, confirmed the tragic news, calling it a “targeted attack”. Abdulmugheeth Petersen, chair of the foundation, asked supporters to remain patient and voiced the need to protect Hendricks' family during this difficult time.
Vocal supporter of the LBGTQ+ rights
According to the report, Hendrick was a vocal supporter of the LBGTQ+ community in South Africa, a country that legalized same-sex marriage in 2006 to become the first in Africa to do so. Despite these progressive laws, the LGBTQ+ community still faces discrimination and violence in the country.
In 1996, Hendricks’ had founded The Inner Circle to support to queer Muslims, and later established the inclusive Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque. He was also featured in a 2022 documentary titled The Radical, in which he reflected on the threats he faced, saying, “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die.”
He was an advocate for interfaith dialogue and often spoke about the mental health struggles that LGBTQ+ individuals endure in religious communities. At last year’s ILGA World Conference in Cape Town, he said, “It is important that we stop to look at religion as the enemy.”