The imam, a religious reformer and an activist, was ambushed by two masked men in a pick-up truck while visiting the southern city of Gqeberha on Saturday. While police have yet to establish the motive for the hate crime, political parties and LGBTQ+ organizations say Hendricks was targeted because he started a mosque in Cape Town for gay Muslims and called for members of the LGBTQ+ community to be welcomed into Islam. And was not deterred by the many death threats he had received over several years.

IMSD stands by the dictum: “No God, gods, goddesses, prophets or saints may be invoked to justify the killing and/or terrorising of fellow human beings”.

A statement issued by the departed Imam’s colleagues at the Center for Contemporary Islam at University of Cape Town said: “His theology was a liberation theology: God is a God of radical love and justice for all human beings. The safe space created by his work brought relief beyond the community of queer Muslims, extending to refugees, people who were homeless, those marginalised without community and belonging, for whom he provided a space of inclusion”.

Deploring the fact some Muslims were condoning the imam’s assassination on social media, the statement bemoaned that “the compounded horror of such violence and brutality has brought into sharp focus the intense homophobia permeating the Muslim community”.

IMSD notes with concern that this intense homophobia permeating the Muslim community is sadly as true of South Africa as it is of the global Muslim community, India included.

We recall our statement issued in March 2023 strongly condemning the concerted effort by the Muslim rightwing in Kerala — including leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and some Muslim-run websites — to ridicule, vilify, denigrate and demonise Muslims who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

IMSD stands in solidarity with the South African colleagues of the departed Imam and fully supports the call by the US-based Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) on all Muslims worldwide, “to build a culture of tolerance and curiosity for various interpretations of Islam”.

We call on Indian Muslims in particular, who as a community have been relentless targets of hate politics and hate crimes in today’s ‘new India’, to deplore and eschew any hatred or violence in Islam’s name. Signatories:

1. Anand Patwardhan, IMSD, Documentary Film-maker, Mumbai
2. Arshad Alam, IMSD Co-convenor, Columnist, Delhi
3. Askari Zaidi, IMSD, Senior Journalist, Delhi
4. Feroze Mithiborwala, IMSD Co-Convener, Mumbai
5. Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, an Alim and Fazil (a classical Islamic scholar), having graduated from a leading Islamic seminary of India, Jamia Amjadia Rizvia (Mau, U.P.)
6. Hasan Ibrahim Pasha, IMSD, Writer, Allahabad
7. Javed Anand, IMSD Co-convener, CJP, Mumbai
8. Kasim Sait, Businessman, Social Activist, Chennai
9. Lara Jesani, Advocate, PUCL, Mumbai
10. Madhu Prasad, IMSD, Social Activist, Delhi
11. Mohammad Imran, PIO, USA
12. Muniza Khan, Citizens for Justice and Peace, Varanasi
13. Qaisar Sultana, Home Maker, Allahabad
14. Qutub Kidwai, IMSD, Islamic Feminist/ Peace Activist, Secretary General AMAN International, Mumbai
15. (Prof) Mohammad Sajjad, Historian, AMU, Aligarh
16. (Dr) Shahnawaz Alam, UP
17. Shamsul Islam, Author, Activist, Delhi
18. Sultan Shahin, Editor-in Chief, New Age Islam, Delhi
19. Teesta Setalvad, IMSD, Secretary CJP, Mumbai
20. Zakia Soman, Co-Convener, Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan
21. Zeenat Shaukat Ali, Islamic Scholar, Director general, Wisdom Foundation, IMSD, Mumbai

Related:

Progressive Muslims condemn the assassination in South Africa of the world’s first gay Imam

The post IMSD condemns the assassination of the world’s first openly gay Imam appeared first on SabrangIndia.

As Imam Muhsin famously said, “The heart is not big enough to contain both fear and faith. You choose.” He chose faith, and was willing to be true to his interpretation of Islamic teachings, despite years of experiencing threats of violence from conservative extremists. Through his teachings and queer-affirming Al-Ghurbaah Mosque in South Africa, he inspired Muslims locally and globally to live authentic lives without abandoning their faith.

In addition to our gratitude for his work overall, we at MPV particularly want to acknowledge his contributions to our advocacy efforts in Urdu, including delivering this lecture to Urdu-speaking audiences.

While there is much we don’t yet know about the circumstances of his death, we know too well the many death threats Imam Muhsin had received over the years. We are disgusted by those condoning his murder and it is this theology of hate and of homophobia that has resulted in the intense threats on his life. We join Muslims and allies around the world in calling for the South African government to leave no stone unturned in investigating the motivation for his murder, and as a possible hate crime.

The attack on Imam Muhsin comes at a chilling time of increased violence against LGTBQ people all around the world, including in the US, and we call on Muslims to show compassion and support for this increasingly vulnerable population.

We join Muslims and allies worldwide in offering prayers for justice and healing for all of those impacted by this horrific killing. We call on all Muslims, regardless of our political and religious differences, to build a culture of tolerance and curiosity for various interpretations of Islam. At MPV, we will continue to advocate for freedom of religion for all, and freedom from persecution for all, demonstrating the beauty of Islam just as Imam Muhsin did.

A Statement from the Colleagues of Imam Muhsin at the Center for Contemporary Islam at University of Cape Town.

Indeed to Allah we belong, and indeed, to Allah we return. We are reeling from the targeted assassination of Imam Muhsin Hendricks, the first openly queer Imam in South Africa. Imam Muhsin was a pioneer in the rights of queer Muslims having previously led The Inner Circle and more recently the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation. He was recognised as a global leader who created a space to reconcile Islam, faith and sexual diversity, and provided a refuge for young queer Muslims that had been rejected in their homes. Muhsin courageously tracked a path of religious inclusivity and a vision of Islam as a home for all.

His theology was a liberation theology: God is a God of radical love and justice for all human beings. The safe space created by his work brought relief beyond the community of queer Muslims, extending to refugees, people who were homeless, those marginalised without community and belonging, for whom he provided a space of inclusion.

Despite this, we are also reeling from the ways in which some Muslims are condoning his assassination on social media. The compounded horror of such violence and brutality has brought into sharp focus the intense homophobia permeating the Muslim community.

This is a time for each of us as individuals, as well as in our collectives, whether in mosques, in community organisations, in our Palestinian solidarity formations, to deeply reflect on the ways in which our work for justice must be all-inclusive, and the right to dignity is unconditional.

In the last two years we have witnessed a genocide enabled by the language of dehumanisation of Palestinian people. It is the same underlying logic of dehumanisation that enables a targeted assassination of a queer human being who stood up for justice. We must recognise that when we are silent in the face of homophobia, patriarchy and

Zionism, we enable not only violent systems, but systems that perpetuate violence and death. We are both ethically and spiritually accountable.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as “Rahmatan li-l-Aalamin,” a mercy to all worlds, everywhere in all times. Every human being deserves justice and dignity.

Imam Muhsin has completed his work on this earth; it is for us to begin ours. Let us have the difficult conversations, let us grow seeds of love, justice and compassion. Let us truly engage what it might be to follow the sunnah of the Mercy to the worlds.

We salute your courage, Shaheed (Martyr) Imam Muhsin. May your soul be embraced in love and compassion by Allah. Dear contented soul, return to your Lord; may your Lord be pleased with you, may you be pleased with your Lord. May the work of justice, love and inclusivity that you worked so hard towards be realised. May we grow our communities in the work of justice, love and all-inclusive dignity.

The post Progressive Muslims condemn the assassination in South Africa of the world’s first gay Imam appeared first on SabrangIndia.