Imam Muhsin Hendricks Shot Dead In South Africa.
Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world’s first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa.
The 57-year-old cleric, who led a Cape Town mosque known for welcoming LGBTQ+ and marginalised Muslims, was ambushed near Gqeberha on Saturday.
According to South African police, two masked gunmen fired multiple shots at a vehicle in which Hendricks was a backseat passenger. Security footage circulated on social media shows a car blocking Hendricks’ vehicle before an attacker emerged and fired through the back window.
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” police stated.
The Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which runs Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in Cape Town’s Wynberg suburb, confirmed Hendricks’ death and described it as a targeted attack.
Reports suggest Hendricks was killed after officiating a lesbian wedding, though authorities have not confirmed this detail.
The incident has raised concerns about violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in South Africa. While the country was the first in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage and has constitutional protections for sexual orientation, attacks against the LGBTQ+ community remain prevalent.
Hendricks came out as gay in 1996 and faced opposition within South Africa’s Muslim community. That same year, he founded The Inner Circle, an organisation aimed at supporting queer Muslims, and later established Masjidul Ghurbaah, an inclusive mosque.
He was also the subject of a 2022 documentary, The Radical, where he spoke about receiving death threats throughout his career.
“The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die,” he said.
Police investigations into the killing are ongoing.
