Muhsin Hendricks, the world's first openly gay imam, was brutally shot and murdered on Saturday while riding in a car with another person in South Africa.
The police report that an unknown suspect, who had their face concealed, stepped out of another vehicle and fired several shots at the car where Imam Hendricks was riding. The driver later found that Hendricks had been killed by a shot, according to ADP.
A video on social media indicates that the imam's vehicle was obstructed by another car. When the car tried to reverse, the attacker came out of the obstructing car, also with his face covered, and shot a few times before escaping in the same car.
Although some reports indicate that Hendricks was murdered after conducting a lesbian wedding ceremony, this has not been confirmed, as per BBC.
Who was Muhsin Hendricks
The Cape Town mosque, led by 57-year-old cleric Muhsin Hendricks, was a haven for gay Muslims and other oppressed members of the Muslim community.
South Africa is the first country in Africa to legalize gay marriage and enshrine persons based on sexual orientation against discrimination in the constitution. In a place with one of the world's highest rates of murder, violence and intolerance abound, however, even as much as the LGBT community is prominent.
Hendricks broke history in 1996 by openly declaring himself, an action that created significant disturbance in Cape Town's Muslim community. In 1996, he established The Inner Circle to provide assistance to queer Muslims and later the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque, a place where everyone was welcomed, according to BBC.
In the 2022 documentary The Radical, Hendricks discussed getting threats, stating, "The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die." He promoted interfaith dialogue and addressed the mental health challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals experience in religious settings throughout his life.
Hendricks at last year's Ilga World Conference in Cape Town urged people to rethink religion and said: "It is important that we stop to look at religion as the enemy."
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga) head Julia Ehrt spoke of her shock and grief when she heard he had died and demanded authorities initiate a thorough inquiry into what could be a possible hate crime.
"He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone's lives," she said.
A publicly gay Anglican minister, Reverend Jide Macaulay, was highly heartbroken upon learning of Muhsin Hendricks' death.
The British-Nigerian campaigner and leader of the House of Rainbow in Nigeria, an LGBT-supporting organization in a nation where homosexual relationships are prohibited, commended Hendricks for his courage.
"Your leadership, courage, and unwavering dedication to inclusive faith communities have left an indelible mark," he said.
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