South African Imam Muhsin Hendricks, renowned as the first openly gay Muslim cleric, has been shot dead in what many believe to be hate crime. Hendricks was ambushed by two masked assailants during a visit to the city of Gqeberha, South Africa. Though police have not determined a motive, LGBTQ+ advocates and political figures say Hendricks was targeted for his groundbreaking work. Prior to his assassination, he founded a mosque in Cape Town that welcomed gay Muslims and promoted a more inclusive interpretation of Islamic teachings. He was aware of threats to his life; in a 2022 interview, he revealed he felt he was the target of a series of fatwas proclaimed by South Africa’s Muslim Judicial Council. However, the council, which admits it had declared Hendricks’ stance incompatible with traditional doctrine, publicly condemned the killing. South Africa’s Justice Ministry is now investigating allegations that his murder was a professionally orchestrated assassination.
Source: africanews
