The South African Muhsin Hendricks was considered the world's first open gay imam. Now the 58-year-old was shot. According to the police, the motif is unclear, the alleged attackers are fleeting.
The grief and dismay are great – in South Africa and far beyond. Friends, family members and fellow campaigners of Muhsin Hendricks appreciate him as a peaceful activist who was fearless for the inclusion queer Muslims and for an Islam geared towards compassion.
The Global Faith Network – a non -profit organization based in the USA – said that Hendricks was a pioneer, a visionary and a beacon of hope for countless marginalized Muslims worldwide.
The man, who was known as the first openly gay man, was shot yesterday in the province of Eastern Cape on the open street. Two men had stopped his car and opened the fire in the clergymen up close. The perpetrators were able to escape undetected.
Fahnung without arrests, video on the Internet
According to the police, the search is at full speed, so far there have been no arrests. The video of a security camera is circulating on social media, which allegedly shows the murder and the subsequent escape of the perpetrators. Hendricks is said to have been on the way to a wedding ceremony where he wanted to trust a lesbian couple. The 58-year-old had led a mosque that was considered a point of contact and a safe refuge for lesbians, gays, bi-, trans- and intersexual Muslims.
In a statement by the Muslim Justice Council it states that Hendricks' views were incompatible with the Islamic teachings. But the murder is unequivocally judged, as well as all acts of violence that were directed against members of the LGBTQ community. The inviolability of human life is a basic principle of Islam.
Protection against Discrimination has Constitutional
South Africa's largest ruling party, the African National Congress ANC, speaks of a hideous act of violence and condemns them, so literally: hated rhetoric, with which the discrimination against lesbians, gays, bi-, trans- and intersexuals is further fueled.
No South African should live in fear because of his sexual identity or convictions. Those responsible would have to be held accountable and the networks of intolerance should be smashed.
After the end of apartheid, South Africa was the first African country to allow same -sex marriages. The constitution expressly protects citizens from discrimination against their sexual orientation.
Stephan Ueberbach, SWR, Tagesschau, 16.02.2025 4:54 p.m.
