Gay Imam was killed in South Africa. His friend says his death ‘will not be in vain’

Muhsin Hendricks showed the world that “it is possible to be both Queer and a pious Muslim,” says his longtime friend and colleague.

Hendricks – The South African Imam who dedicated his life to helping 2Slgbtq+ Muslims to reconcile his identity with their faith – he was killed and killed on Saturday in Gqeberh. He was 57 years old.

“Muhsin put himself in there. It was visible,” said Rev. Jide Macaulay, Gay Anglican Minister and longtime friend Hendricks, said As it happens Guest hostess Helen Mann.

“It is a great loss not only for the LGBT community, not just for the religious community, but also in the world we live in today.”

The motive for murder is unknown

Hendricks, who described himself as the first open gay imam in the world, was shot after two men were ambushed in a truck whose faces were covered, police reported.

The safety video of the shooting shows that one of them was jumping from his vehicle, running to the Hendricks car was and shooting a gun several times through the side window.

Police have not established a motive for murder, but political parties and advocacy organizations say they believe that Hendricks, who has long faced death threats, may have been intended for his work.

The Democratic Federation, the second largest political party of South Africa, said “the nature of the murder strongly suggests a professional hit.”

Julia Ehrt, Executive Director of International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersk Association, urged the authorities to “thoroughly investigate what we are afraid of being a hate crime.”

The Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa said that, although consistently stated that the position of Hendricks was incompatible with Islamic teachings, “we unambiguously condemn his murder and any acts of violence that target members of the LGBTQ community or any other community.”

The South African Ministry of Justice announced that he was investigating the claims that he was the target of the assassination.

Hendricks was a world -famous Imam and an activist who claimed that there was nothing in the Qur’an that forbidden the same -sex relations.

He advocated involved through his al-Ghurbah Foundation and led the mosque in Cape Town especially for 2slgbtq+ people.

In the documentary 2022. RadicalHendricks talked about the risk of being a gay priest, but said his need to be his authentic self is greater than fear of dying.

The feeling of Macaulay said he was all too familiar.

“Our authentic self is likely to cause us harm. Our authentic I have been criminal in. Our authentic I have been demonized,” said Macaulay, founder of the religious 2slgbtq+ organizational house Rainbow.

“He went so far that he became a priest, you know, in the same religion that condemns him, it demonizes him. And therefore it is very painful to see violence against him.”

‘Gay Pastor meets Gay Imam’

When Macaulay first met Hendricks 16 years ago, he said, they shot jokes that the title would be “Gay Pastor meets Gay Imam.”

“No matter how radically it was, it was unheard of at the time,” Macaulay said. “Clearly, you know, colleagues.”

The parallels between them, he said, ran deep. They both grew up in Africa, Hendricks in South Africa and Macaulay in Nigeria. Both were married women when they were young men and then came out like a gay in the late 20s. They both went on spiritual journeys to reconcile faith with their sexual orientations.

And they both shared a mission: create safe spaces for other Queer people of faith.

“I think the fact that we were both got married before we came out as homosexuals, in fact obviously in the fact that we were quite focused on the African tradition, you know, very normative, you know, the patriarchal system,” Macaulay said.

“The outbreak from this requires a lot of intestines and it takes a lot of fierceness. And I think the unfortunate end of his life is brutal. It takes away something precious from our world.”

Macaulay said that as a friend, Hendricks was “gentle”, “cheerful” and “playful”, but also diligent and deeply dedicated to his mission and his faith.

“He loved to dance. He loved a lot of fun,” he said. “But at the same time, he is also very, very intellectual, very creative.”

Macaulay said Hendricks is also kind and dedicated to the father of his three children.

“They took him from their children. And that is heartily because, at the same time, we have communities that look at him as a father,” he said.

In the message on her official Facebook page, the Al-Ghurbah Foundation called Hendricks “big father and guardian of many. Continue resting with angels.”

Macaulay said that Hendricks influences him on others gives him hope that even though his friend is dead, his mission will continue.

“His legacy is so strong that I pray and I hope it will continue,” he said. “We have to give the world that, you know, his death will not be in vain.”