A gay Cape Town imam was shot dead in Gqeberha hours before he was to allegedly marry a lesbian couple. Muhsin Hendricks was apparently on his way to marry a gay interfaith couple after several local imams in the city had refused to marry them.

News24 reports that his death was confirmed by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex World Association (ILGA World).

Hendricks had been sitting in the backseat of a gold VW T-Roc vehicle parked in Haley Place, Bethelsdorp when a silver Hilux double-cab bakkie approached the vehicle and blocked it from driving off before he was shot.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said no arrests have been made.

The Global Interfaith Network (GIN) said Hendricks was ‘a pioneer, a visionary, and a beacon of hope for countless marginalised Muslims worldwide’.

‘As the first openly gay imam, he fearlessly championed an all-inclusive, compassion-centred Islam, dedicating his life to creating safe spaces for queer Muslims, advocating for justice, and redefining faith as a source of healing rather than harm,’ GIN said in a statement.

According to ILGA World, a non-profit organisation that hosted Hendricks as a speaker at its 31st ILGA World Conference in Cape Town in November last year, Hendricks became the first imam in the world to come out as gay back in 1996. 

‘The ILGA World family is in deep shock at the news and calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate what we fear may be a hate crime,’ said director Julia Ehrt.

Full News24 report

Second News24 report

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