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First openly gay Imam shot dead in South Africa

Muhsin Hendricks, believed to be the world’s first openly gay Imam, was shot dead in Gqeberha, South Africa on February 15, 2025.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association condemned the killing and called for a thorough investigation into what they fear may be a hate crime.
Hendricks founded the Al-Ghurbaah mosque in Cape Town to create an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ Muslims, challenging traditional Islamic teachings on homosexuality.
South Africa’s Justice Ministry is investigating the possibility that the killing was an assassination related to Hendricks' progressive religious views.

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Deutsche Welle

Who was Muhsin Hendricks, the world's first openly gay imam?

South African Muhsin Hendricks, widely recognized as the first openly gay imam, was fatally shot in his car. For nearly three decades, he challenged misconceptions about Islam, arguing that homosexuality is not just compatible with the faith but integral to it. Who was he?

3 days ago·Bonn, Germany

First openly gay Imam shot dead in South Africa

4 days ago·France

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them.

Muhsin Hendricks, Considered the First Out Gay Imam, Fatally Shot in South Africa

Hendricks began hosting meetings for LGBTQ+ Muslims in 1998.

4 days ago

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BBC News

Who is the gay Imam Mohsen Hendricks and how did Arabs and Muslims react to his death?

AFP Mohsen Hendricks, who announced his homosexuality in 1996, once said that his need to be authentic “was greater than the fear of death.” South Africa's Deputy Minister of Justice, Andres Neal, said police are pursuing the suspects behind the killing of Mohsen Hendricks, who has been called the world's first LGBT imam. And while [...]

4 days ago·United Kingdom

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The Independent

Openly gay Muslim imam killed in suspected hate crime

The killing has raised fears of a politically motivated assassination

4 days ago·London, United Kingdom

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SRI

Man Hailed As World’s First Imam To Say He Was Gay Is Shot Dead In South Africa

A man hailed as the world’s first imam to say he was gay was shot dead in South Africa on Saturday, local police said, in what rights groups fear could be a hate crime. Eastern Cape provincial police said in a statement it was investigating the death of Muhsin Hendricks, 58, in

3 days ago

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