Police in South Africa are “hot on the heels” of the suspects behind the murder of Muhsin Hendrix, called the world's first discovered gay Imam, said Deputy Minister of Justice Andris Nell.
The 57-year-old was in a car when he was shot in daylight in the coastal city of Gcaberha on Saturday.
The incident video surveillance footage shows a hooded figure leaking from a pickup that blocks Hendrix's car and then fired shots out the window.
Imam was well known for its work in creating a safe haven for gay and other marginalized Muslims, and its murder shocked the LGBTQ+ community.
An investigation is underway, but Nell said on the Newzroom Afrika television channel that it's too early to say whether it was a hatred crime.
Without giving further details, Nell said he had been told by Deputy Minister of Police Polly Boshiel's that officers were tracking suspects.
By paying tribute to Hendricks, Nell said that “is a South African we can all be proud of, a South African, with whom we can all strive to be.”
Hendrix's work challenges the traditional interpretations of Islam, which oppose the relationships of same -sex and the same sex.
Although it was clear that he did not agree with Hendricks, the Muslim Council of South Africa (MJC), one of the country's major religious bodies, condemned the murder.
“As members of a democratic, pluralistic society, MJC remains unwavering in the intercession for peaceful joint existence and mutual respect, even against the backdrop of different views,” the statement said.
Another leading Muslim body – the United Ulama Council in South Africa – triggers “out -of -court murders” and urged people not to come to conclusions about the motive.
The Constitution of South Africa, adopted after the end of the 1994 white minority rule, is the first in the world to protect people from discrimination due to its sexual orientation and in 2006 became the first country in Africa to legalize same -sex marriage.
But despite the thriving LGBTQ+ community, gays are still facing discrimination and violence. The country also has one of the highest killings in the world.
Hendricks emerged as a gay in 1996, which shocked the wider Muslim community in his hometown of Cape Town and elsewhere.
The same year, he founded the internal circle, an organization providing support and a safe space for strange Muslims who seek to reconcile their faith and sexuality before continuing to establish the inclusive Magidul Gurba Mosque.
He was the subject of a documentary in 2022, called “Radical”, in which he said of the threats that he faced: “The need to be authentic was greater than fear of die.”
Hendrix often speaks to the importance of inter -confessional dialogue and the need to deal with the problems of mental health and trauma that LGBTQ+ individuals in religious communities face.
He told the international world conference of lesbians, gay, bisexual, trance and intersex in Cape Town last year: “It is important to stop looking at religion as the enemy.”
Additional reporting from Todah Opeyemi.