A man believed to be the world’s first openly gay Muslim imam has been shot dead while sitting in a car in South Africa, in what many are calling an assassination due to his teachings.
Muhsin Hendricks was killed on Saturday in the southern city of Gqeberha after being ambushed by two men in a pick-up truck. Police said the attackers had their faces covered.
Security footage of the shooting shows one of them jumping out of the vehicle, running up to the car Hendricks was in, and firing multiple times through a side window.
Police have not determined a motive, but political parties and LGBTQ+ organisations claim Hendricks was targeted because he founded a mosque in Cape Town for gay people and campaigned for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Islam. Homosexuality is forbidden in the Islamic faith.
South Africa’s Justice Ministry said it was investigating claims that Hendricks was assassinated.
Hendricks was internationally known and spoke at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association’s (ILGA) conference in South Africa last year.
Julia Ehrt, executive director of ILGA, said the organisation was “in deep shock at the news of the murder of Muhsin Hendricks and calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate what we fear may be a hate crime.
“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith.”
The ILGA said Hendricks had spoken about how some people were demanding his mosque be shut down, calling it the “gay temple”.
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-largest political party, said: “The nature of the killing strongly suggests a professional hit.”
Hendricks came out as a gay imam in the mid-1990s, later founding a support network and a mosque for gay Muslims.
Through his Al-Ghurbaab Foundation, he campaigned for their inclusion, referring to himself as “the world’s first openly queer imam”.
Explaining his decision, he said: “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.
“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.”
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the Al-Ghurbaab Foundation described Hendricks as “a great father and a guardian of many. Continue resting with angels.”
The Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa, which had previously stated that Hendricks’ position was incompatible with Islamic teachings, said: “We unequivocally condemn his murder and any acts of violence targeting members of the LGBTQ community or any other community.”
