Remembering Muhsin Hendricks: World’s First Openly Gay Imam Who Was Shot Dead in South Africa

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ON FEBRUARY 15, 2025, the queer community lost one of its most beloved members after the world’s first openly gay imam Muhsin Hendricks was shot dead in Gqeberha, South Africa. Known for publicly expressing his sexuality and pushing boundaries, Hendricks didn’t only advocate for equal rights for marginalized communities but also provided a safe space for people to express themselves and practice interfaith marriages.

It is reported that on the day of his brutal assassination, he was promoting the same values, as he was flown in to Gqeberha—a coastal city in South Africa—for officiating two interfaith marriages. Hendricks was tragically shot dead in his car in what has been established by the authorities as a targeted attack. The man who touched hundreds of lives is still remembered by the community for what he accomplished, creating a platform for them to speak up.

Who Was Muhsin Hendricks?

Muhsin Hendricks was born on June 7, 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather—an Islamic cleric, Muhsin completed his higher education from the University of Islamic Studies in Pakistan. He believed that the ideas such as homophobia are not imbibed in the Quran, which depicts the God as “merciful and compassionate.” According to him, homophobia and misogyny have become part of the culture through centuries of patriarchal interpretations of the Allah's word.

Before coming out as a homosexual in 1996, Hendricks married a woman in 1991 and reportedly had three children with her. The couple was officially divorced before Muhsin publicly disclosed his sexuality, making him the world’s first openly gay Imam. In 2006, he married a Hindu man in South Africa after same-sex marriage was legalized in the country. He kept his ex-wife, children, and husband away from public eyes. That is why their identities still remain private.

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Hendricks’s same-sex interfaith marriage as an Imam, teaching children at mosques and madrasas, upset many conservative and radical members of the community at the time. However, he went on to form a social support group for the LGBTQ+ Muslims in the country called The Inner Circle in 1996. The organization later came to be known as the Al-Fitrah Foundation—meaning one that is innate and natural. In the 2010s, he established another organization called Al-Ghurbaah (The Strangers) and built an inclusive mosque—often called the People’s Mosque—providing support and training for queer Muslims and marginalized communities. 

He presented his own reinterpretations of the Quran—against the popular narrative—and posted them on his TikTok, Instagram and Youtube, amassing a huge following. The South African Imam often faced death threats for his bold speeches as well. Unruffled on the outside, Hendricks continued his aim and vision, continuing to share them globally.

Imam Hendricks Officiated a Same-Sex Interfaith Marriage Before Being Shot Dead

According to Hendricks’s office, the Imam had flown from Cape Town to Gqeberha, the night before his assassination to officiate two weddings. Both marriages were interfaith, between a Muslim and a Hindu. Alex Perry, writing for The Economist, in his tribute piece to Hendricks on September 10, 2026,  reports that one of the marriages was also same-sex, between two women. Some of the radical Islamists considered Hinduism to be sacrilegious and same-sex marriage as a sin punishable by death. That is why no local Imam agreed to officiate the marriage and instead the 57-year-old Hendricks was flown in.

According to The Economist, after marrying the two women at 9 am on February 15, 2025, Hendricks left the premises in the back seat of a gold-colored Volkswagen SUV. The second ceremony was minutes away but he never reached there. The CCTV footage shows a silver Toyota Hilux driving at the wrong side of the road to block Hendricks’s car. The Toyota reportedly had blacked-out windows. A man with an unrecognizable face from the footage, jumped out of the passenger seat, approached the Volkswagen’s back seat and fired three shots towards Hendricks.

The CCTV video showed the killer checking on his target from a distance before running back to his vehicle. According to reports, the whole ordeal—from the criminal's vehicle entering the CCTV frame to its exit—only took 21 seconds. It was also believed, from the shooter's stance, that he was a professional gunman, sparking speculations of him being a former soldier or policeman or a trained terrorist.

Community Remembers Hendricks While Demanding Justice

After his death, along with the shock of the broad daylight assassination, an outpouring of love also emerged from the community.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA)  expressed deep sorrow over the murder and asked authorities for thorough investigation on what they considered a “hate crime.” Amnesty International South Africa, Global Interfaith Network, and Centre for Contemporary Islam (University of Cape Town) also condemned the brutal murder.

To get more perspective on the tragedy, NewsGram reached out to Delhi-based advocate Akbar Khan Rana. According to him the incident was deeply tragic but the claims of “hate crime” should be taken with a pinch of salt as nothing has been proven yet. However, he also emphasized that being gay, the work Hendricks did was commendable and shouldn’t have faced such criticism. Offering his personal views on Imam Hendricks, he said, “Being gay was not something anyone can control. It is a natural phenomenon. Being a man, woman, gay, transgender is a natural ‘software’ out of our control. I don’t believe if [Hendricks] was gay he is a criminal or anti-God. He is also a creation of the same Allah, just like everyone else.”

When asked about Hendricks’s interpretation of the Quran, Rana said, “I believe if we follow any religion, we should believe that everyone is created equally by God. No matter your belief, no one should be reprimanded for just being gay.”

At the one year anniversary of his death, the local residents, members of the queer community, and his peers offered condolences and remembered him fondly. Denzil Adams, who worked with Hendricks from 2016-2018, told Mamba Online that the South African Imam was a “trailblazer.” Adams said, “He was not only my Imam but my guide in life, my big brother. He was more than a pioneer… his teachings will live on forever.”

Amid all these tributes and fond memories of a prominent queer figure, the discussion around the unsolved murder mystery still lingers. More than one-and-a-half year after his shocking demise, there has been no arrest linked to Hendricks’s assassination. The authorities maintain that the investigation is still underway. The hundreds who were moved by his words and way of living, and his family still await justice.

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