The 57-year-old world’s first openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, was shot dead on Saturday morning, February 15, 2025, in South Africa.
Hendricks was shot dead after the car in which he was travelling near the southern city of Gqeberha was ambushed.
As reported by BBC, the late Imam ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims.
Hendricks was allegedly killed after officiating at a lesbian wedding.
The police confirmed the tragic incident in a statement, adding that two suspects with covered faces killed the Imam.
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle.”
According to police, the imam was in the back seat of the car when the gunmen attacked the vehicle.
Hendricks’ Al-Ghurbaah Foundation stated that the Imam was killed in a targeted attack on Saturday morning.
The security footage shared on social media revealed details of the attack.
It shows a car pulling up and blocking the vehicle in which Hendricks was travelling as it pulled away from the curb. One of the assailants jumps out of a car, runs to the ambushed vehicle, and shoots repeatedly through the back passenger window.
Who is Muhsin Hendricks, World’s ‘First Openly Gay Imam’?
The pioneering figure shocked the wider Muslim community in Cape Town and elsewhere when he came out as gay in 1996. He founded The Inner Circle, an organisation providing support and a safe space for gay and lesbian Muslims seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality.
