Muhsin Hendricks
Muhsin Hendricks | |
|---|---|
Hendricks in 2022 | |
| Born | June 1967 |
| Died | 15 February 2025 (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 |
| Children | 3 |
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".