The world’s first openly gay Muslim imam, Muhsin Hendricks, was fatally shot in South Africa, sparking rumors of an alleged hate crime, CNN reports.
Investigators claim the 58-year-old religious leader was found dead after he and a driver were seen in a gold-colored VW TRoc. A silver-colored Hilux double cab allegedly stopped in front, limiting them from driving off. The motive behind the killing in the city of Bethelsdorp is still unknown, but Eastern Cape provincial police released a statement saying, “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle. Thereafter, they fled the scene, and the driver noticed that Hendricks, who was seated at the back of the vehicle, was shot and killed,” the statement continued.
LGBTQ+ advocates are fearful the killing was a hate act as Hendricks came out as the world’s first openly gay imam in 1996. His advocacy work resulted in the opening of the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation in Cape Town, which he founded and served as executive director. The human rights organization provides support to “Queer Muslims, helping them to reconcile Islam with their Sexual orientation and Gender Identity.”
An outpouring of disbelief has come in from a number of advocacy groups familiar with Hendricks’ work. A statement from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) said they were “in
deep shock” over the news. “He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith,” ILGA’s Executive Director Julia Ehrt said, according to the Associated Press.The Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa also released a statement condemning Hendricks’ murder, although they openly labeled his position as incompatible with Islamic teachings. “We unequivocally condemn his murder and any acts of violence targeting members of the LGBTQ community or any other community,” the statement read.
Anti-LGBTQ+ practices are fluid throughout a number of African nations. Countries like Uganda, Ghana, and Kenya have passed laws making it unconstitutional to submit to what they deem as homosexual activity. Some laws go as far as threatening death.
ILGA highlighted statements from the victim where he would claim some people were pushing for his mosque to close since it was branded as the “gay temple.”
Hendricks was once married to a woman after growing up in a conservative Muslim family. Still, after later coming out as gay, he heavily advocated for the demographic to be included through his foundation. “When I was looking at the way queer Muslims were negotiating this dilemma between Islam and their sexual orientation and identity, I felt compelled to do something about it,” the imam once said while explaining his beliefs.
“And I thought, for me to help would probably be for me to be authentic with myself and come out. I think it’s possible to be queer and Muslim or queer and Christian.”
As the subject of the 2022 documentary “The Radical,” Hendricks spoke about the death threats he endured while opening his mosque. “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die,” Hendricks said in the film.
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