File:Muhsin_Hendricks.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Muhsin Hendricks
Sign in to saveSouth African imam and LGBTQIA activist
Key facts
- Born
- June 1967 ( 1967-06 ) , Cape Town , Western Cape, South Africa
- Died
- 15 February 2025 (2025-02-15) (aged 57), Bethelsdorp , Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Cause of death
- Murder by gunshot
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in Classical Arabic and Islamic sciences
- Alma mater
- University of Islamic Studies , Karachi , Pakistan
- Occupation
- Imam ( Sunni Islam )
- Years active
- 1996–2025
- Organization s
- Al-Fitra Foundation, Al-Ghurbaah Foundation
- Known for
- Queer religious activism
- Notable work
- A Jihad for Love , The Radical
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- South Africa
- Place of birth
- Cape Town
- Place of death
- Bethelsdorp
- Occupation
- LGBTQ rights activist
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Religion
- Islam
Show 3 more facts
- date of birth
- 1967-06-00
- sexual orientation
- gay
- date of death
- 2025-02-15
via Wikidata · CC0
~6 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Muhsin Hendricks (June 1967 – 15 February 2025) was a South African imam, Islamic scholar and LGBTQ activist. He was involved in various LGBTQ Muslim advocacy groups and was an advocate for greater acceptance of LGBTQ people within Islam. He has been described as the world's first openly gay imam, having come out in 1996. Hendricks died from gunfire wounds in an attack in February 2025 in Bethelsdorp, South Africa. In an obituary, The Economist wrote that Hendricks "fought homophobia with the Koran", and that his ministry provided "meeting places, a mosque, constant reassurance and two human-rights foundations to defend Muslims torn between their faith and their sexuality".
Early and personal life
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Muhsin Hendricks” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.