Muhsin Hendricks
Often called the world’s first openly gay imam, he created spaces where queer Muslims could keep both their faith and themselves.
Muhsin Hendricks grew up in a Muslim family in Cape Town; his grandfather was an imam. He studied Islamic sciences in Karachi, Pakistan, and became an imam and teacher himself. He married and had children, but suffered from hiding his homosexuality.
In 1996 he came out publicly. He lost his position, but did not abandon his faith. He founded The Inner Circle, an organisation that supports LGBTQ Muslims in reconciling their faith and their sexuality, and later the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation. In 2011 he opened a mosque in Cape Town that welcomed LGBTQ Muslims and women as equals.
Hendricks argued that the Quran does not condemn loving same-sex relationships, and that the traditional interpretation is based on a misreading. His work made him known around the world, and also made him enemies. The documentary “The Radical” (2022) portrayed him.
On 15 February 2025 he was shot dead in his car near Gqeberha by unknown attackers. He was 57 years old. His murder caused shock around the world; LGBTQ and religious organisations called for a full investigation.