Muhsin Hendricks, a prominent South African imam known for his advocacy for the LGBTQ community, was fatally shot in an ambush on Saturday morning.
The 57-year-old, regarded as the world’s first openly gay imam, was traveling in a car near Gqeberha when the attack occurred.
According to police, two masked assailants exited a vehicle and opened fire on Hendricks’ car. “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” police said in a statement.
Hendricks, who had been a vocal advocate for the rights of marginalized Muslims, was known for running the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in Cape Town, which served as a safe space for gay Muslims and other individuals facing exclusion. It is believed he was killed shortly after officiating a lesbian wedding, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Security footage of the incident, which was shared widely on social media, shows the attackers’ car blocking Hendricks’ vehicle as it was about to pull away. The imam, seated in the back of the car, was then targeted as an assailant approached and fired several shots through the passenger window.
Hendricks’ Al-Ghurbaah Foundation confirmed the tragic death in a statement, describing the attack as a targeted hit. “He was killed in a targeted attack on Saturday morning,” the foundation said.
Julia Ehrt, the executive director of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga), called for a thorough investigation into the incident, suggesting that it may have been a hate crime. “What we fear may be a hate crime,” Ehrt stated, urging authorities to look into the motives behind the killing.
The world’s first openly gay imam, 57-year old Muhsin Hendricks has been killed in an ambush by some unknown gunmen in South Africa. The attack reportedly followed his officiation of a lesbian nikkah (Islamic wedding).
The deceased was the leader of a mosque in Cape Town, which… pic.twitter.com/imnFL6BHP2
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) February 16, 2025
