On February 15, pioneering activist Muhsin Hendricks, recognised as the world’s first openly gay imam, was shot dead near the city of Gqeberha in South Africa.

According to reports, the 57-year-old was assassinated after the car he was travelling in was ambushed by two masked gunmen. The Hendricks’ Al-Ghurbaah Foundation confirmed his death, calling it “a targeted attack”. Other unconfirmed reports suggest that he was murdered after officiating a lesbian wedding.

In a statement, police said: “Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle.”

“Thereafter, the suspects fled the scene,” the statement further reads. “Hendricks was sitting in the back of the vehicle. The driver noticed that he had been shot and killed.

“The motive for the murder is unknown and forms part of an ongoing investigation.”

Muhsin Hendricks came out as gay in 1996, becoming the first imam to do so publicly. In the same year, he founded The Inner Circle, a human rights organisation based in Cape Town which helps “Muslims who are queer to reconcile Islam with their sexuality”.

He also led a mosque in the South African capital which was considered a safe space for queer Muslims. His activism extended beyond that, as he ran workshops for imams across Africa with the goal of developing an inclusive understanding of gender and sexuality within Islam.

The imam had reportedly frequently been a target of death threats. In a 2022 documentary, he stated that his “need to be authentic” was “greater than the fear to die”.

Commenting on the news of his death, Julia Ehrt, executive director at ILGA, called on “authorities to thoroughly investigate what we fear may be a hate crime.

“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives. Our condolences go out to all who have been touched by his presence in all these years.”