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Muhsin Hendricks, broadly thought to be the world’s first brazenly homosexual imam, has been shot lifeless in South Africa. The 57-year-old cleric, identified for his advocacy for LGBTQ+ Muslims, was ambushed and killed on Saturday morning whereas touring close to Gqeberha.
In accordance with police reviews, two masked gunmen stopped Hendricks’ car and fired a number of photographs at him. Safety footage shared on-line reveals a automotive blocking his car earlier than an attacker jumped out and fired repeatedly by means of the again passenger window, the place he was seated.
A Lifetime of Advocacy and Inclusion
Hendricks was a trailblazer in selling an inclusive interpretation of Islam, creating secure areas for queer Muslims to reconcile their religion and id. He based The Interior Circle in 1996 to assist LGBTQ+ Muslims and later established the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in Cape City, identified for its inclusive method.
His work typically challenged conservative spiritual beliefs, and he confronted quite a few threats over time. In a 2022 documentary titled The Radical, he acknowledged: “The should be genuine was larger than the worry to die.”
International Outcry and Requires Justice
Information of Hendricks’ assassination has sparked outrage and mourning worldwide. LGBTQ+ rights organizations, spiritual leaders, and activists have condemned the killing, urging South African authorities to totally examine what many worry could also be a hate crime.
Julia Ehrt, Govt Director of the Worldwide Lesbian, Homosexual, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Affiliation (ILGA), described Hendricks as a mentor and a beacon of hope for a lot of marginalized Muslims.
“He supported and mentored so many individuals in South Africa and around the globe of their journey to reconcile with their religion. His life was a testomony to the therapeutic that solidarity throughout communities can convey,” she stated.
Reverend Jide Macaulay, a British-Nigerian LGBTQ+ rights activist and Anglican minister, described his dying as “actually heartbreaking.”
“Your management, braveness, and unwavering dedication to inclusive religion communities have left an indelible mark,” he stated.
Sadiq Lawal, a homosexual Muslim man from Nigeria, famous that Hendricks’ work had impressed many LGBTQ+ Muslims, significantly in conservative spiritual environments.
“He made the unimaginable doable by saying the phrases: ‘I’m a queer imam.’ He was a mentor to many, particularly in Nigeria, the place spiritual extremism makes it tough for queer Muslims to exist,” Lawal stated.
The Struggles of LGBTQ+ Rights in South Africa
Regardless of South Africa’s progressive authorized framework—being the primary nation in Africa to legalize same-sex marriage in 2006—violence towards LGBTQ+ people stays prevalent. The nation has one of many highest homicide charges on the earth, and hate crimes towards LGBTQ+ individuals persist.
Hendricks’ homicide has intensified considerations in regards to the security of queer people, significantly these advocating for inclusivity in spiritual areas.
His basis, Al-Ghurbaah, confirmed his dying, calling for persistence and assist for his household whereas urging authorities to make sure justice.
As investigations proceed, his legacy as a fearless advocate for equality and faith-based inclusion stays an inspiration to many.
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