Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world First open gay I have, has been shot and killed in South Africa over the weekend, while the authorities are investigating whether murder is a hate crime.
In a statement received by the BBC, police said Hendricks was killed on Saturday morning while traveling nearby The city of Gqeberha In South Africa, the Province of the Eastern Cape. His car allegedly sat down.
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started shooting more blows to the vehicle,” the authorities said.
Hendricks founded Intern Circle, a safe haven for gay Muslims, shortly after he came out in 1996 as an open gay imam. He had been married to his wife earlier before he divorced her the same year.
Imam Muhsin Hendricks is preparing to begin the prayer of Jumu’ah in the internal circle mosque, in Wynberg, in Cape Town, South Africa, 2016. (Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)
“The inner circle is the longest, largest and most influential organization for human rights in the world that deals with Islam, gender and sexual diversity from Islamic theological perspective,” the organization website said. “The internal circle works internationally and supports international associated organizations on a similar job, in the Islamic framework.”
In a statement, the Cape Town Committee – Organization Sunni leaders – condemned the murder, but said his views were “not aligned with the views of the deceased.”
“We believe that Islamic teachings are firmly condemning violence, murder or such actions that undermine the rule of law and destabilize society,” the statement said. “So, the Cape Town Committee invites our community to allow the law to investigate the incident and the following procedure, hopefully we will maintain peace and order.”
International lesbian, gay, bisexual, trance and intersex association (Ilga) said in a statement that they believe that murder “can be a hate crime”.
Imam Muhsin Hendricks leads the beginning of the Jumu’ah prayer in the internal circle, in Wynberg, in Cape Town, South Africa, 2016. (Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)
“He supported and mentors so many people in South Africa and the worldwide on their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life was a testimony of healing that solidarity in communities can bring in life,” the CEO of Ilga Julia Ehrt said. “Our condolences come out to everyone who touched him his presence in all these years.”
In 2022, Hendricks caused concern about Fatwa condemning the homosexuality issued by the Muslim Judicial Council. The verdict found that homosexuality was incompatible with Islam and said that gay Muslims were “pulled out of the folds of Islam.”
Air shot of Pollok Beach in Port Elizabeth, a city in the Algo Bay in South Africa Province of the Eastern Cape. (East)
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“Although he did not come as a complete shock, he left me painful, since he was published when we had just had a month,” Hendricks said at the time. “The phrase of the homosexual was conceived only in the 18th century, and Qu’ran was longer before that, so how can there be letters that condemn same -sex relationships?”
Authorities are actively exploring the incident. Additional details are not known at the moment.
