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Muhsin Hendricks, a pioneering figure dubbed the world’s first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa.<\/p>\n
The 57-year-old cleric ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a safe haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims. He was killed on Saturday morning after the car in which he was travelling near the southern city of Gqeberha was ambushed.<\/p>\n
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” police said in a statement.<\/p>\n
News of Hendricks’ death has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the globe.<\/p>\n
Julia Ehrt, executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (LLGA), called on the authorities to thoroughly investigate “what we fear may be a hate crime”.<\/p>\n
“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives,” she said.<\/p>\n
Hendricks was killed after he had reportedly officiated at a lesbian wedding, though this has not been officially confirmed.<\/p>\n
The details of the attack emerged through security footage that was shared on social media.<\/p>\n
It shows a car pulling up and blocking the vehicle in which Hendricks was travelling as it was pulling away from the curb. According to police, the imam was in the back seat.<\/p>\n
The angle of CCTV footage reveals what happened from one side of the road – an assailant jumps out of a car, runs to the ambushed vehicle and shoots repeatedly through the back passenger window.<\/p>\n
Hendricks’ Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which runs the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in the Wynberg suburb of Cape Town, confirmed he had died in a targeted attack on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
But Abdulmugheeth Petersen, chair of the foundation’s board, appealed via a WhatsApp group for their followers to be patient, stressing the importance of protecting Hendricks’ family.<\/p>\n
Hendricks’ work challenged traditional interpretations of Islam and championed a compassionate, inclusive faith.<\/p>\n
South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to protect people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and in 2006, became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n
But despite a thriving LGBT community, gay people still face discrimination and violence. The country also has one of the highest murder rates in the world.<\/p>\n
Hendricks came out as gay in 1996, which shocked the wider Muslim community in Cape Town and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
That same year, he founded The Inner Circle, an organisation providing support and a safe space for queer Muslims seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality before going on to establish the inclusive Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque.<\/p>\n
He was the subject of a documentary in 2022 called The Radical, in which he said about the threats he faced: “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die.”<\/p>\n
Hendricks often spoke about the importance of interfaith dialogue and the need to address the mental health issues and trauma faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within religious communities.<\/p>\n
He told the Ilga World Conference in Cape Town last year: “It is important that we stop to look at religion as the enemy.”<\/p>\n
Reverend Jide Macaulay, an openly gay Anglican minister, described Hendricks’ death as “truly heartbreaking”.<\/p>\n
The British-Nigerian LGBTQ rights activist runs House of Rainbow, an organisation that provides support for gay people in Nigeria where same-sex relationships or public displays of affection are illegal, and paid tribute to Hendricks’ bravery.<\/p>\n
“Your leadership, courage, and unwavering dedication to inclusive faith communities have left an indelible mark,” he said.<\/p>\n
Sadiq Lawal, a gay Muslim man living in Nigeria, told the BBC that Hendricks, had made such an impact as he had made “the impossible possible” by saying the words: “I’m a queer imam.”<\/p>\n
“He’s a mentor to many queer Muslims in Africa, especially in Nigeria, because of religious extremism,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I’m still in shock and devastated.”<\/p>\n