Terror strikes South Africa's LGBTQ+ community: Muhsin Hendricks, recognized globally as history's first openly gay imam, was fatally shot in the city of Kabarha in the southern region of the country, according to an announcement from the Australian government.
The imam, who operated a mosque that served as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ Muslims, was traveling in his vehicle accompanied by another individual when their path was blocked by a car. Armed assailants emerged and opened fire, killing Hendricks. According to the police statement, "Two unidentified suspects with covered faces fired multiple shots at the vehicle. The driver fled the scene and only later noticed that Hendricks, who was in the back seat, had been shot and killed."
BREAKING:
A video has been released of yesterday's Islamist terror attack in South Africa in which killed the world's first openly gay imam.
Muhsin Hendricks ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a safe haven for gay & marginalised Muslims.
He was murdered in an ambush. pic.twitter.com/obZvM4BzGi
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 16, 2025
Though police authorities maintain the motive remains unclear, South Africa's LGBTQ+ community is certain this was a targeted terror attack. Security camera footage circulating on social media platforms documents the shooting incident.
Hendricks founded his mosque in 2011 to provide a sanctuary and prayer space for Muslims who had been ostracized from their communities due to their sexual orientation. The Ghurbaah Mosque, located in Cape Town's Wynberg neighborhood, garnered extensive media coverage as history's first Muslim center offering an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ members.
"I told myself that perhaps it was time we created our own space, where people could pray without being judged," Hendricks told The Guardian at the time. His decision to establish the mosque came after a friend shared his experience of being forced to listen to an extended sermon condemning homosexuality at his regular mosque.
