February 16, 2025
A popularly recognised and world’s first openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, has been shot and killed in South Africa.
The 57-year-old cleric, who led a mosque in Cape Town known as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ and marginalized Muslims, was ambushed and killed on Saturday morning while traveling near the southern city of Gqeberha.
According to the police, as quoted by the BBC, “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle.”
Hendricks’ death has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, with tributes pouring in from around the world.
Julia Ehrt, executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into “what we fear may be a hate crime.”
Describing Hendricks as someone who “supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, Ehrt, said Hendricks life, has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives.”
Authorities are yet to confirm reports which suggested that Hendricks was killed shortly after officiating a lesbian wedding.
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His Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which runs the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in Cape Town’s Wynberg suburb, confirmed his death, calling it a targeted attack.
However, chair of the foundation’s board, Abdulmugheeth Petersen, urged followers via WhatsApp to remain patient and respect the privacy of Hendricks’ family.
Muhsin Hendricks was known for challenging traditional interpretations of Islam and advocating for an inclusive, compassionate faith.
Since coming out as gay in 1996, he had been a trailblazer for queer Muslims, founding The Inner Circle to support those seeking to reconcile their faith with their sexuality before later establishing Masjidul Ghurbaah as an inclusive space for worship.
He was also a strong advocate for interfaith dialogue and spoke about the mental health struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within religious spaces.
South Africa, despite being the first country in the world to enshrine LGBTQ+ protections in its post-apartheid constitution and legalizing same-sex marriage in 2006, still grapples with discrimination and violence against the community.
The country also has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Hendricks’ activism made a lasting impact, as reflected in the 2022 documentary The Radical, in which he addressed the threats he faced, saying, “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die.”
