The world's first openly g@y imam was shot dead in South Africa.

Muhsin Hendricks, who publicly came out as gay in 1996, emphasized the importance of authenticity

 

On February 15, 2025, Muhsin Hendricks, who was believed to be the first openly gay imam in the world, was fatally shot in the southern city of Gqeberha, as reported by South African police.

The imam, who ran a mosque intended as a safe haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims, was in a car with another person when a vehicle stopped in front of them and blocked their exit, police said.
According to a statement from the Eastern Cape force, two unknown suspects with covered faces exited the vehicle and began firing multiple shots at it.

Upon leaving the scene, the driver observed that Hendricks, who was sitting at the rear of the vehicle, had been shot and killed.

According to AFP, a police spokesperson verified the authenticity of a video on social media that claimed to demonstrate a targeted killing in Bethelsdorp close to Gqeberha, which was once known as Port Elizabeth.

According to police, the motive for the murder is unknown and is currently under investigation. They have urged anyone with information to come forward.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association expressed their disapproval of the killing.

"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," executive director Julia Ehrt said in a statement.

In 1996, Hendricks, a member of various LGBTQ advocacy groups, revealed his homosexuality. In Wynberg, near his birthplace of Cape Town, he operated the Al-Ghurbaah mosque.

The mosque offers a secure environment for LGBTQ Muslims and marginalized women to practice Islam, as stated on its website.

Hendricks, who will be featured in a 2022 documentary called 'The Radical', previously mentioned threats against him.

He asserted that the need to be genuine was "more important than the fear of death".

According to police data, South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with around 28,000 murders between February 2024 and 2019.