Openly gay imam who was shot dead in South Africa embodied complex Muslim identity

Dubbed the “world’s first openly gay Imam”, South African religious leader Muhsin Hendricks was gunned down on February 15 in an attack that many believe was targeted. Tributes have poured in across the world, but so have online comments that his death was justified.

His passing intensifies a global debate about whether queer Muslims belong in the faith. Amanullah De Sondy was a friend of his and is a scholar of Muslim sexuality and masculinity, including the contributions of Hendricks. He pays tribute and discusses the bigger issues.

Who was Imam Muhsin Hendricks?

Muhsin Hendricks was born in 1967 in Cape Town and raised in a Muslim household. He married and started a family with a woman before coming out as gay in 1996. He would later marry a Hindu man. His marriage touched on two complex issues for many Muslims: that it was between two men, and that it was with someone of a different faith.

Muhsin Hendricks was a learned scholar of Islam who had become a globally renowned religious leader. He created and managed large queer Muslim organisations in South Africa that brought people together from Karachi to London.Read more