CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — Muhsin Hendricks, widely recognized as the world’s first openly gay imam, was fatally shot in South Africa on Saturday, according to local police.
The Eastern Cape provincial police confirmed the incident in a statement, stating that they are investigating the murder of the 58-year-old in Bethelsdorp. While the motive for the killing remains unclear, human rights groups fear it may have been a hate crime.
Hendricks, a prominent figure in the LGBTQ+ Muslim community, had faced numerous challenges and threats due to his sexual orientation and his advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights within Islam.
This tragic event has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and raised concerns about the safety and security of individuals who challenge traditional norms and advocate for inclusivity.
The statement said that at around 10 a.m. Saturday, “Hendricks and a driver was inside a gold-colored VW TRoc in Haley Place, Extension 24, Bethelsdorp when a silver-colored Hilux double cab stopped in front and blocked them from driving off.”
“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 added.
A video purportedly capturing the shooting incident has been widely circulated on social media. However, Vivid Voice News has not independently verified the authenticity of this footage. The police have also stated that they cannot confirm the video’s validity while the investigation is ongoing.
South Africa grapples with a serious crime problem, with murder rates currently at a 20-year high, ranking among the highest globally. Concerns have arisen that Hendricks’ murder may have been a hate crime.
Hendricks, a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community, publicly declared his homosexuality in 1996, making him the “first imam in the world to come out as gay,” according to a statement released by ILGA World on Saturday.
“The ILGA World family is 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,” Julia Ehrt, executive director at ILGA World, said in the statement.
The South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development expressed sadness over Hendricks’ murder and pledged to “track and monitor the dispensation of justice” should the investigation confirm that it was a hate crime.
Hendricks was the founder and executive director of the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation in Cape Town. This human rights organization provides support to “Queer Muslims, assisting them in reconciling Islam with their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” as stated on the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation’s website.
The Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa (MJC) “unequivocally” condemned the “shocking killing” in a statement Sunday.
“It has been alleged that the killing may have been motivated by hatred towards Muhsin Hendricks due to his views on same-sex relationships. While the MJC has consistently maintained that Muhsin’s position is 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 MJC said.
The imam was the subject of the 2022 documentary “The Radical” which followed Hendricks establishing a mosque for LGBTQ+ Muslims in Cape Town, South Africa, amid death threats. “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die,” Hendricks says in the film.
