According to local police, a man who was praised as the first imam in history to declare his sexual orientation was shot dead in South Africa on Saturday, in what rights organizations believe may have been a hate crime.
In a statement, Eastern Cape provincial police said they were looking into the death of 58-year-old Muhsin Hendricks in Bethelsdorp and that it was unclear what caused the murder.
“Hendricks and a driver were inside a gold-colored VW TRoc in Haley Place, Extension 24, Bethelsdorp at around 10 a.m. on Saturday when a silver-colored Hilux double cab stopped in front and blocked them from driving off,” the statement read.
Additionally, it stated: “Two unidentified suspects with masks exited the car and began shooting at the car repeatedly.” They then ran away, and the driver saw that Hendricks, who was sitting in the back of the car, had been shot and killed.
A security camera-captured video that appears to document the shooting incident has gone viral on social media. Police stated they were unable to confirm the video because an investigation was still in progress, and CNN has not independently verified the footage.
In South Africa, where homicide rates are at a 20-year high and already rank among the highest in the world, shootings are frequent.
Fears of hate crime
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World), an advocacy group, said on Saturday that Hendricks was the “first imam in the world to come out as gay” in 1996.
In a statement, ILGA World executive director Julia Ehrt said, “The ILGA World family is deeply shocked by the news of Muhsin Hendricks’ murder and calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate what we fear may be a hate crime.”
South Africa’s Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said it was “saddened” by Hendrick’s murder and pledged to “track and monitor that justice is dispensed” if his death is indeed confirmed as a hate crime.
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Hendricks founded the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation in Cape Town, where he served as executive director. The human rights organization provides support to “Queer Muslims helping them to reconcile Islam with their Sexual orientation and Gender Identity,” according to the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation’s website.
The Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa (MJC) “unequivocally” condemned the “shocking killing” in a statement Sunday.
It has been suggested that Muhsin Hendricks’ opinions on same-sex relationships may have served as the driving force behind the murder. The MJC said, “We categorically condemn his murder and any acts of violence targeting members of the LGBTQ community or any other community, even though we have consistently maintained that Muhsin’s position is incompatible with Islamic teachings.”
The 2022 documentary “The Radical” focused on the imam and followed Hendricks as he opened a mosque for LGBTQ+ Muslims in Cape Town, South Africa, in the face of death threats. In the movie, Hendricks states, “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die.”
