World's First Openly Gay Imam Shot Dead in South Africa

port elizabeth, south africa - Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world's first openly gay imam, was shot dead in South Africa.

Openly Gay Imam Murdered in South Africa

Muhsin Hendricks, considered the world's first openly gay imam, was fatally shot near the southern city of Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth. Hendricks, who ran a mosque for LGBTQ+ Muslims near Cape Town, was in a car with a driver when two masked men opened fire, according to South African police.

The motive for the murder is unknown, but authorities suspect it was a targeted killing. Hendricks, who came out as gay in 1996, started organizing meetings for LGBTQ+ Muslims in his hometown two years later, treating him as their community imam.

He ran the Al-Ghurbaah mosque in Wynberg, offering a safe space for queer Muslims and marginalized women to practice Islam.