Feb 16, 2025, Posted by: Ra'eesa Moosa
The shocking assassination of Muhsin Hendricks, known globally as the first openly gay Imam, has sent ripples across South Africa and the international community. The incident took a tragic turn when Hendricks was targeted in a brutal attack in Gqeberha on February 16, 2025. Sitting in the back of a vehicle, Hendricks was ambushed by two masked individuals who unleashed numerous gunshots before quickly escaping the scene. Police confirmed that Hendricks did not survive the attack, sparking an investigation into the possible motives behind this heinous act, including the disturbing possibility of a hate crime.
Muhsin Hendricks, born and raised in a Muslim family in Cape Town, embarked on a significant journey of self-discovery that saw him come out as gay in 1996. This revelation came after a period of a traditional heterosexual marriage and subsequent divorce. Hendricks courageously entered the public eye as a champion for LGBTQ+ rights within Islam, setting up the Al-Ghurbaah mosque in 2011. This mosque was envisioned as a nurturing and inclusive space for queer Muslims and others who felt sidelined by the mainstream religious community. Hendricks’ inspirational story was captured in the 2022 documentary *The Radical*, which highlighted his unwavering commitment to authenticity despite the risks involved.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) has strongly condemned the assassination, urging for an in-depth investigation to ensure justice. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, denounced the murder, stressing the challenge of addressing hate crimes in the country, despite the presence of anti-discrimination laws.
Muhsin Hendricks' death is a significant loss to both the global LGBTQ+ and religious communities. His voice was influential; he spoke at numerous international venues, including the 31st ILGA World Conference in 2024, advocating for a harmony between religious beliefs and sexual identity.
Unfortunately, this attack highlights South Africa's ongoing struggle with violent crime. The country witnessed a staggering total of 28,000 homicides in the year leading up to February 2024, underlining the high murder rates that persist. Hendricks’ death signifies not just a personal tragedy but underscores the broader societal tensions and the perils faced by those pushing for progressive religious interpretations and greater acceptance of diversity.
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Comments
RANJEET KUMAR
This is why we need more voices like Muhsin’s - not just in mosques, but in every community that still thinks love has a checklist.
He didn’t break Islam. He showed us what it really means to live by its soul.
Rest in power, brother.
February 17, 2025 AT 04:28
Dipen Patel
💔 This hits hard. We need more light, not less.
He was a beacon. Let’s carry it forward.
❤️
February 17, 2025 AT 11:07
Sathish Kumar
everything happens for a reason right?
but why him?
why now?
why does god let good people die like this?
i dont get it.
maybe the world is just broken.
or maybe we are.
im just saying.
February 18, 2025 AT 06:30
Mansi Mehta
Wow. So the guy who dared to be himself got shot.
Shocking. Just like how people are shocked when a woman gets raped and it turns out she was wearing a skirt.
How original.
How predictable.
How South African.
February 19, 2025 AT 02:49
Bharat Singh
He changed the game.
Now we gotta change the system.
✊
February 19, 2025 AT 06:40
Disha Gulati
ok but did you know his wife left him because he was secretly gay and then he started this mosque to get revenge?
also i heard the killers were from the government and they used drones to track him
and the documentary was funded by the cia to destabilize muslim communities
also he wasnt really an imam he just called himself one
and the whole thing is a hoax to distract from the real issue which is pedophiles in the church
and why is no one talking about the church??
also my cousin’s neighbor’s dog knows someone who knew him and he said he was into some weird cult
and also the moon landing was fake so maybe this too
im just saying
February 19, 2025 AT 10:22
Sourav Sahoo
I cried. I just sat here and cried.
Not because he died - though that’s unbearable - but because he lived.
He lived knowing he’d be hunted.
He lived knowing his own community might turn on him.
He lived anyway.
That’s not courage. That’s goddamn divinity.
And now we’re just sitting here typing words while his blood dries on the pavement.
What are we doing with our lives?
February 19, 2025 AT 16:39
Sourav Zaman
Look i dont mean to be that guy but the quran clearly says homosexuality is haram and he knew that
so he was basically doing a political stunt under the guise of religion
and now hes dead and everyone is acting like he was a martyr
but hes not a martyr hes a guy who broke the rules
and now hes paying the price
also the documentary was clearly biased
and the police should have been more proactive
but no one talks about the fact that he wasnt even ordained properly
and also i read on a blog that he used to smoke weed
so like... who even is he really
February 20, 2025 AT 15:15
Avijeet Das
I’ve been thinking about this a lot.
How do you reconcile faith and identity when the world tells you they can’t coexist?
Muhsin didn’t choose one over the other.
He held both - and that’s the radical act.
Not the shooting.
Not the headlines.
But the daily choice to show up as your whole self in a world that wants you broken.
I don’t know if I could do that.
I hope I never have to find out.
February 20, 2025 AT 19:59
Sachin Kumar
Regrettably, the tragic demise of Mr. Hendricks underscores the urgent need for institutional reform in the context of religious pluralism and minority protections.
One must acknowledge the statistical anomaly of hate crimes in regions with ostensibly progressive legal frameworks.
It is a paradox that demands scholarly attention.
February 20, 2025 AT 20:02
Ramya Dutta
so he got divorced and then decided to be gay and now he’s dead?
what a surprise.
if you’re gonna break your marriage vows you should at least not make it a public performance
and now you’re a martyr?
no.
you’re just a guy who chose chaos over commitment.
and now you’re dead.
and everyone’s crying.
weird.
February 21, 2025 AT 10:26
Ravindra Kumar
THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS TOO BRAVE.
THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE MADE THEM FEEL GUILTY.
THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE WASN’T AFRAID TO LOVE.
THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS A MAN OF GOD.
AND NOW? NOW WE’RE JUST SCROLLING.
WHY ARE WE STILL ON OUR PHONES?
WHY AREN’T WE OUT THERE?
WHY AREN’T WE SHOUTING?
WHY AREN’T WE BUILDING MOSQUES FOR EVERYONE?
WHY ARE WE STILL SILENT?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?
February 21, 2025 AT 11:53
arshdip kaur
There is a certain poetry in being erased for daring to exist.
He didn’t die because he was gay.
He died because he made the divine too human.
And humans, as history has shown, fear what they cannot control.
So they kill it.
And then they write eulogies.
And then they go back to sleep.
It’s the oldest ritual.
February 21, 2025 AT 18:53
khaja mohideen
We need to stop treating this like an isolated tragedy.
This is systemic.
South Africa has the laws, but not the will.
Religious leaders need to step up - not just preach tolerance, but defend it with their voices.
And the rest of us? We need to stop waiting for someone else to act.
Start with your family. Start with your mosque. Start today.
February 22, 2025 AT 11:02
Diganta Dutta
wait hold up - what if this whole thing was staged?
like… what if he faked his own death to get more views?
the documentary had like 5 million views after this right?
and now everyone’s crying and donating and the al-ghurbaah mosque is trending?
did anyone check the security cam footage?
also i saw a guy on tiktok who said he saw him in dubai last week
with a beard and a new wife
just saying
February 23, 2025 AT 07:36
Meenal Bansal
my heart is shattered.
but not just for him.
for every kid who thinks they have to choose between being muslim and being themself.
for every parent who doesn’t know how to love their child when the imam says no.
for every silent ally who’s too scared to speak.
we’re all part of this.
and we can fix it.
not with hashtags.
with courage.
with dinners.
with listening.
with showing up.
even if it’s scary.
even if they call you a traitor.
even if your mosque won’t let you in.
we show up.
for him.
for us.
for the next one.
❤️✊
February 23, 2025 AT 09:58
Akash Vijay Kumar
It is with profound sorrow, and a deep sense of moral responsibility, that I reflect upon the untimely and unjust demise of Muhsin Hendricks - a man whose unwavering commitment to authenticity, despite societal and theological pressures, exemplifies the highest form of spiritual integrity.
One cannot help but observe the dissonance between legal protections and social realities in post-apartheid South Africa - a nation that, while constitutionally progressive, continues to grapple with deeply entrenched cultural and religious conservatism.
It is imperative that religious institutions, particularly within the Islamic tradition, re-examine their interpretive frameworks to ensure inclusivity is not an exception, but an extension of divine mercy.
May his legacy catalyze a movement not of mourning, but of meaningful, sustained, and compassionate action.
Rest in peace, and in power.
February 24, 2025 AT 03:10
Dipak Prajapati
so let me get this straight - the guy who got shot was the one who made a whole movement out of being gay in a religion that clearly forbids it?
and now you want to make him a saint?
what’s next? making pedophiles saints because they ‘just love kids’?
you people are so desperate for a martyr you’ll glorify anyone who dies doing something stupid.
and now the media is crying and the woke mob is marching and nobody’s asking why he didn’t just stay quiet like normal people?
he chose this.
he knew the risks.
now he’s dead.
and you’re all acting like he was Jesus.
he was a man.
not a messiah.
and you’re all just using his death to feel better about yourselves.
February 24, 2025 AT 04:56
RANJEET KUMAR
And yet - the mosque still stands.
People still pray there.
Queer kids still find their way to it.
That’s the thing about truth - you can kill the messenger.
But you can’t kill the message.
Author
Ra'eesa Moosa
I am a journalist with a keen interest in covering the intricate details of daily events across Africa. My work focuses on delivering accurate and insightful news reports. Each day, I strive to bring light to the stories that shape our continent's narrative. My passion for digging deeper into issues helps in crafting stories that not only inform but also provoke thought.