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(TJV) Muhsin Hendricks, the world’s first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa, a country plagued by rampant crime and lawlessness.
The 57-year-old cleric, who led a mosque in Cape Town that served as a refuge for LGBTQ+ and marginalized Muslims, was ambushed on Saturday morning while traveling near Gqeberha.
According to police, two masked gunmen exited a vehicle and opened fire on the car in which Hendricks was a passenger, executing a cold-blooded assassination.
News of his murder has sparked grief and outrage across the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, with many calling for justice. Julia Ehrt, executive director of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga), urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into what is feared to 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,” she said, emphasizing the impact of his work in fostering interfaith solidarity.
Hendricks was reportedly killed after officiating a lesbian wedding, though this detail has not been officially confirmed.
Security footage circulating on social media captured the ambush, showing a car blocking Hendricks’ vehicle as it attempted to leave the curb. The gunman then rushed to the back passenger window and fired multiple shots.
The Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which operates the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in Cape Town, confirmed his death, describing it as a targeted attack. Abdulmugheeth Petersen, chair of the foundation’s board, called for patience and urged supporters to respect Hendricks’ family’s privacy.
Hendricks dedicated his life to challenging conventional interpretations of Islam and advocating for a more inclusive and compassionate faith. His activism began in 1996 when he publicly came out as gay, a revelation that shocked the Muslim community in Cape Town and beyond. That same year, he founded The Inner Circle, an organization providing support for queer Muslims, later establishing the inclusive Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque.
His work gained international attention, and in 2022, he was the subject of the documentary The Radical, in which he reflected on the threats he faced. “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die,” he said.
Despite South Africa’s progressive constitution—one of the first to protect sexual orientation rights—LGBTQ+ individuals still face extreme violence and discrimination. The country, suffering under an incompetent and corrupt government, has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with little justice for victims.
Tributes have poured in from around the globe, with Reverend Jide Macaulay, an openly gay Anglican minister, describing Hendricks’ death as “truly heartbreaking.”
Sadiq Lawal, a gay Muslim man in Nigeria, told the BBC that Hendricks had made “the impossible possible” by openly declaring his identity.
“He was a mentor to many queer Muslims in Africa, especially in Nigeria, because of religious extremism,” he said. “I’m still in shock and devastated.”
South Africa’s government, notorious for its high crime rates, corruption, and hostility toward minorities, has hypocritically taken the lead in accusing Israel of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice—an accusation widely seen as a politically motivated attack rather than a legal or moral stance. While South Africa aligns itself with authoritarian regimes and radical groups, it simultaneously ignores the brutal persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals within its own borders.
Unlike South Africa, where hate crimes, “corrective rape,” and violent murders of LGBTQ+ people remain rampant despite legal protections, Israel stands as the only Middle Eastern country where LGBTQ+ rights are fully recognized. Tel Aviv is home to one of the world’s most vibrant Pride celebrations, and LGBTQ+ individuals serve openly in the military, government, and judiciary—freedoms unimaginable in much of the world, including South Africa’s own crime-infested townships. The South African government’s obsession with demonizing Israel is not about human rights but about advancing an anti-Western, anti-democratic agenda while deflecting from its own failures in protecting its citizens, whether they are LGBTQ+ individuals, white farmers, or victims of violent crime.
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