A gay imam was killed in South Africa. His friend says his death will “not be for nothing”

Muhsin Hendricks showed the world that “it is possible to be both queer and a pious Muslim,” says his long -time friend and colleague.

Hendricks – A South African Imam who devoted his life to the support of 2LGBTQ+ Muslims who reconcile their identity with their faith – was shot in the city of Gqeberha on Saturday. He was 57 years old.

“Muhsin made himself out there. He made himself visible,” said Rev. Jide Macaulay, a gay Anglican Minister and Hendricks’ long -time friend How it happens Host Helen Mann.

“It is a big loss, not only for the LGBT community and not only for the faith community, but also for the world in which we live today.”

Motif not to kill

Hendricks, who described himself as the first openly gay imam of the world, was attacked by two men in a pickup truck, whose faces were covered.

A safety video of the shoot shows that one of them jumped out of their vehicle, to the car that ran Hendricks, was able and fired a pistol several times through a side window.

The police have not determined a motive for the killing, but political parties and representative organizations believe that they believe that Hendricks, who had been subject to murder for a long time, may have been targeted due to his work.

The democratic alliance, the second largest political party in South Africa, said that “the nature of killing is strongly on a professional hit”.

Julia Ehrt, executive director of international lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans- and intersex association, asked the authorities to “thoroughly examine what we fear being a hate crime.

The Muslim judicial council of South Africa said, although he consistently explained that Hendricks’ position with Islamic teachings was not compatible, “we condemn his murder and all the acts of violence that speak against members of the LGBTQ community or another community.”

The South African Ministry of Justice said it was the investigation of the claims that it was the goal of an assassination attempt.

Hendricks was a world -famous Imam and activist who argued that there was nothing in the Koran that banned same -sex relationships.

He campaigned for the recording by his Al-Ghurbaah Foundation and directed a mosque in Cape Town especially for 2SLGGBTQ+ People.

In the documentary 2022 The radicalHendricks spoke about the risks of a gay clergyman, but said that his need to be his authentic self was greater than his fear of dying.

It is a feeling that Macaulay said he was only too familiar.

“Our authentic itself will probably put us in danger. Our authentic self was criminalized. Our authentic self was demonized,” said Macaulay, founder of the faith -based 2LGBTQ+ organization House of Rainbow.

“He went so far to become a cleric, you know, in the same religion that condemns him who demonizes him. And therefore it is very painful to see violence against him.”

“Gay Pastor hits gays imam”

When Macaulay Hendricks met for the first time 16 years ago, he said that they had broken jokes that the heading “Gay Pastor hits gays imam”.

“As radical as it is, it was unknown,” said Macaulay. “We were clearly colleagues.”

The parallels between them, he said, ran deep. Both grew up in Africa, Hendricks in South Africa and Macaulay in Nigeria. Both married women when they were young men and then came out as gay at the end of 20. Both went on spiritual trips to reconcile the faith with their sexual orientations.

And both shared a mission: to create safer rooms for other queer people of faith.

“I think the fact that we were both married before before we came out as gay men.

“From the outbreak of courage and it requires a lot of violence. And I think that the unfortunate end of his life is brutal. It takes something precious from our world.”

Macaulay said that as a friend, Hendricks was “gentle”, “jovial” and “playful”, but also hardworking and deeply of his mission and his faith.

“He loved dancing. He loved to have a lot of fun,” he said. “But at the same time he is also very, very intellectual, very creative.”

Macaulay said Hendricks was also a loving and committed father to his three children.

“They took him away from his children. And that is heartbreaking because we have communities at the same time that also read out as a father figure,” he said.

In a message on her official Facebook page, the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation Hendricks called “a great father and a guardian for many.

Macaulay said Hendricks’ effects on others gives him the hope that his mission will continue, although his friend is dead.

“His legacy is so strong that I pray and hope that it will go on,” he said. “We have to let the world know that his death will not be for nothing.”