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Muhsin Hendricks
South African gay imam (1967–2025) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Muhsin Hendricks (June 1967 – 15 February 2025) was a South African imam, Islamic scholar and LGBTQ activist. He was involved in various LGBTQ Muslim advocacy groups and was an advocate for greater acceptance of LGBTQ people within Islam. He has been described as the world's first openly gay imam, having come out in 1996. Hendricks died from gunfire wounds in an attack on February 2025 in Bethelsdorp, South Africa.[2] In an obituary, The Economist wrote that Hendricks "fought homophobia with the Koran", and that his ministry provided "meeting places, a mosque, constant reassurance and two human-rights foundations to defend Muslims torn between their faith and their sexuality".[3]
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Early and personal life
Hendricks was born in Cape Town in June 1967[4][5] and brought up in a traditional Muslim home.[6] His grandfather was an Islamic cleric.[5] He studied at the University of Islamic Studies in Karachi, Pakistan.[7] He stated that his "forefathers are a mixture of Indonesian and Indian background. They were brought to Cape Town as political prisoners and slaves by the Dutch colonialists".[8]
He married a woman in 1991, and had children with her before they divorced in 1996: later that year he came out as gay.[5][9] He subsequently lived in a barn for three months, fasting for around 80 days and meditating on his faith in the form of istikhaara.[5] Hendricks came out later that year, at the age of 29.[9] At the time, he was serving as an imam, imparting teachings in mosques and at the nearby madrasa,[7] and he was fired because of his sexual orientation. Although his father was supportive, his mother was shocked.[10][11] He and his mother reconciled after she spent ten days living with Hendricks and his partner, and the two maintained a close relationship until her death.[9]
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Activism
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In 1996, Hendricks founded the Inner Circle, a support network aiding (but not exclusively for[12]) gay Muslims in coming to terms with their sexual orientation and how this may impact their religious faith.[7][13] They were founded in response to LGBTQ Muslims who felt excluded from mainstream mosques during Friday prayers.[14] From 1998 onwards, Hendricks provided prayers, counselling and Muslim same-sex marriage ceremonies.[9] Inner Circle was later known as Al-Fitrah Foundation.[15]
His stated interpretation, in opposition to mainstream Islam, was that there is nothing in the Quran that condemns homosexuality.[9][16] He interpreted the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as condemning rape, rather than homosexuality.[11] This is in opposition to mainstream Muslim views, which use the story to condemn same-sex behaviour.[17] The Muslim Judicial Council condemned Hendricks in 2007, later issuing a fatwa against gay people.[9] This position, which is backed up by most of South Africa's mainstream Muslim organisations, has been criticised for not recognising gender and sexual diversity in pre-colonial Muslim societies. In addition to this, in the African context, there has often been pushback to LGBTQ rights from conservative groups of all faiths, who view homosexuality as un-African.[18]
In 2011, he founded Masjidul Ghurbaah in South Africa, a mosque belonging to the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation.[9][19] Of this endeavour, Hendricks said: "There is this love-hate relationship from the Muslim community. Sometimes they feel that I should be thrown from the highest mountain, and sometimes they appreciate that there is one imam who is willing to work with people who they are unwilling to work with".[13][20] Al-Fitrah Foundation later founded the Masjid Ul-Umam.[15]
In 2019, Hendricks travelled to Kenya to advocate for LGBTQ rights.[9] By 2022, he developed multifaith training courses for the Global Interfaith Network.[9]
In 2022, Hendricks raised concerns about the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC)'s "Short Fatwa," which he believed could have detrimental effects on the gay community. Hendricks challenged the MJC's decision, expressing worries about the potential harm it could cause to LGBTQ individuals.[21]
Internet and film activism
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hendricks began posting TikToks with positive messages about love.[9] By 2022, he was creating online videos about LGBTQ Muslims in Hindi and Urdu.[9]
Hendricks appeared in the 2007 documentary film A Jihad for Love.[11] In 2022, he was the subject of The Radical, a German documentary film.[22]
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Death and responses
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Hendricks died at the age of 57 years old, after he was fatally shot on 15 February 2025 in Bethelsdorp, Eastern Cape.[2][23] While Hendricks was travelling in the back seat of a car, a Toyota Hilux stopped in front of the car – blocking the road – before two masked gunmen opened fire. Security camera footage shows the assailants fleeing the scene.[24][25] As of 16 February[update], the police were still investigating a motive for the killing.[2]
Initial reports claimed that he was murdered after reportedly officiating a lesbian wedding in Gqeberha.[2][23] The Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, founded by Hendricks, disputed this and said that he had instead officiated the weddings of "two interfaith heterosexual couples" in Gqeberha.[26]
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) criticised Hendricks's killing and called on authorities to investigate the death.[2][25] The Cape Town Ulama Board (CTUB)[27][28] and United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA)[28] condemned the murder of Hendricks, while expressing their disapproval of his views. They emphasised the Islamic condemnation of violence and the importance of adhering to the rule of law, and stated that violence as a response to disagreements is unacceptable. They urged against speculation about the motive behind the murder and condemned any acts of violence against the LGBTQ community.[29]
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External links
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