Muhsin Hendricks, dubbed the world's first openly gay imam, was murdered in Cape Town on Saturday, South African police said.
The 57-year-old imam ran the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque, intended as a safe haven for LGBT and other marginalized Muslims. He was shot dead and ambushed in a car he was traveling in on Saturday morning by two people who covered their faces.
"Hendricks and a driver were inside a gold-colored VW TRoc in Haley Place, Extension 24, Bethelsdorp, when a silver-colored Hilux double cab stopped in front and blocked them from driving off," a statement from the Eastern Cape provincial police said, as reported by CNN.
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle. Thereafter, they fled the scene, and the driver noticed that Hendricks, who was seated at the back of the vehicle, was shot and killed.”
Police are still investigating the intention behind Hendricks's murder. The BBC reported that he was allegedly killed after officiating a lesbian wedding.
LGBT community mourns gay Imam
His death has shocked the LGBT community internationally. Some organizations are calling for local police to investigate his death as a potential hate crime.
“The ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association) World family is in deep shock at the news of the murder of Muhsin Hendricks, and calls on authorities to thoroughly investigate what we fear may be a hate crime,” Julia Ehrt, executive director at ILGA World, said in a Saturday statement.
“[Hendricks] 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.”
Muslim groups in the country further condemned Hendricks's murder.
“It has been alleged that the killing may have been motivated by hatred towards Muhsin Hendricks due to his views on same-sex relationships," the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa said in a statement, as reported by CNN. "While the MJC has consistently maintained that Muhsin’s position is incompatible with Islamic teachings, we unequivocally condemn his murder and any acts of violence targeting members of the LGBTQ community or any other community,” the MJC said.
The organization said that Hendricks came out in 1996 as the world's first gay imam. Since then, he researched Islam and sexual diversity and founded a multitude of organizations to support queer Muslims.
One of his organizations, the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, confirmed his death and called it a "targeted attack."
The organization runs the Cape Town mosque and additionally "provides Psycho-Spiritual and Psycho-Social support to Queer Muslims, helping them to reconcile Islam with their Sexual orientation and Gender Identity," according to its website.