The hatred strikes again: assassinated in South Africa Muhsin Hedricks, the first imam gay

Reflections by the volunteers of the Gionata project

Muhsin Heddricks, first Imam declaredly homosexual in the world and a key figure in the struggle for an inclusive Islam, was assassinated on Saturday morning in South Africa, at the age of 57.

Founder of the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation and executive director of the organization, Hedricks dedicated his life to supporting queer Muslims, helping them to reconcile their faith with their sexual orientation and their gender identity.

Through the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque of Cape Town, he created a safe space for marginalized people, challenging the traditional interpretations of religion and promoting an Islam based on inclusion and compassion.

For years Handricks has been talking about the need for interreligious dialogue and the importance of facing the wounds and traumas experienced by LGBTQ+ people in religious communities. In 2022, in the documentary The Radical, he said for him: "The need to be authentic was bigger than the fear of dying. "

South Africa, despite the fact that it was the first country in the world to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in its post-apartheid constitution and the first in Africa to legalize the marriage between people of the same sex in 2006, remains a complex context. Violence against LGBTQ+ people is still widespread and the country records one of the highest homicidal rates in the world.

The news of his death has aroused pain and indignation. Sadiq Lawal, Nigerian gay Muslim, said: "It made it impossible possible. Saying 'I am an imam queer' in Africa is an act of immense strength."

Also the reverend Jide Macaulay, an Anglican pastor openly gay and Nigerian activist, expressed his condolence: "His courage and his dedication to an inclusive faith have left an indelible mark. "

Last year, speaking at the ILGA World Conference in Cape Town, Handricks had launched a message that today rings even stronger: "It is important that we stop looking at religion as the enemy. "

Now, the hope is that his commitment is not forgotten and that his inheritance continues to inspire those who struggle for a more just and welcoming world.