The world’s first openly gay imam, Moegsien Hendricks, was fatally shot in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The incident occurred near the city of Gqeberha, where Hendricks was officiating a same-sex wedding for a lesbian couple in Bethelsdorp on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
According to Rif’at Brower, a Facebook user, the local community and religious leaders had initially refused to marry Naadira Abader’s daughter and her female partner. Brower wrote, “Naadirah Abader’s daughter was getting married to another female non-Muslim. Sheikh Mukhtar of (Port Elizabeth) PE said that they will not marry the two females and no one in PE will.”
He added that the women eventually turned to Moegsien Hendricks, a gay imam from Cape Town, to officiate the marriage. “The females then got the gay so-called imam from Cape Town – Moegsien Hendricks – to marry them,” Brower noted.
Brower also commented on Hendricks’ murder during the wedding, saying, “Moegsien was shot and k!lled at the wedding. There is less Fasaad now with him gone. We cannot allow this Fasaad (moral corruption against God) and Jahiliah in our community and faith.”
The South African Police Service confirmed the shooting, with Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg reporting that the motive for the killing is still unknown.
Van Rensburg explained, “The police are seeking information to solve a murder case that was reported at SAPS Bethelsdorp following a shooting incident that took place at Extension 24, Bethelsdorp early on Saturday, 15 February 2025.”
She provided details of the incident, stating that it took place around 10 a.m. when the 58-year-old Hendricks and his driver were inside a gold-colored VW T-Roc parked in Haley Place, Extension 24. A silver Hilux double cab stopped in front of them, blocking the vehicle’s path.
Two masked suspects emerged from the Hilux and began firing multiple shots at Hendricks’ vehicle before fleeing the scene. Hendricks, who was seated in the back of the car, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The motive for the murder is unknown and forms part of the ongoing investigation,” Van Rensburg stated. She urged the public to come forward with any information that might help the investigation.
“Anyone with the information can contact Detective Colonel Dawie Schotz on 082 319 8673 or SAPS Crime Stop number on 08600 10111 or report to the nearest police station. All information is confidential, and callers may remain anonymous,” she said.
Hendricks made headlines in 1996 when he publicly came out as gay, becoming the first openly gay imam in the world. He founded the Al-Ghurbaah (the strangers) Foundation, which operated out of a mosque in Wynberg.
The foundation provided support to LGBTQI+ Muslims, helping them reconcile their faith and sexuality. Hendricks was an advocate for inclusivity and acceptance within the Muslim community.
In a video posted on January 17, Hendricks sang a song in Arabic that contained the words, “You won’t be able to forget me.”
