In February 2007, Gender DynamiX (GDX) held a trans-awareness workshop with staff from The Inner Circle, later known as the Al-Fitrah Foundation, in Cape Town, South Africa. The Inner Circle was founded by the world’s first openly-gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks as a group for gay Muslims to navigate their Islamic faith and sexual identity. Sadly, Imam Hendricks died on 15 February 2025, murdered in a suspected hate attack. Liesl Theron, the then Executive Director of Gender DynamiX who led the workshop, had this to say about Imam Hendricks:

“He was gentle, kind, had a great sense of humor, was a trail blazer, activist, leader, internationally known and loved. He will be deeply missed.”

From the trans-awareness workshop by Gender DynamiX with staff from The Inner Circle. Imam Muhsin Hendricks is in the centre, with Gender DynamiX’s Executive Director at the time, Liesl Theron, next to him on the right.

Remembering Imam Muhsin Hendricks

June 2017 — Tholulwazi Uzivikele, a human rights organisation, meets with Imam Hendricks (centre) at The Inner Circle to expand their knowledge of the queer community within Islam. Photo from the Al-Fitrah Foundation’s Instagram page.

Born in 1967 in Cape Town, he dedicated his life to reconciling faith and identity, and to support marginalised Muslims. Despite facing rejection and constant death threats, he established Masjidul Ghurbaah, an inclusive mosque, and reinterpreted Islamic texts to promote acceptance of queer Muslims. He founded The Inner Circle in 1996, and conducted his spiritual work at the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque, also known as ‘The People’s Mosque’. His work empowered countless individuals to reconcile their faith and identity.

@openlynews

Muhsin Hendricks became the world’s first openly queer Imam when he came out in the late 1990s. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, he is credited with starting the country’s first LGBTQ+ friendly mosque and over two decades of activism he has sought to help queer Muslims reconcile their faith with their séxual orientation.   🎙️ Reporter: Lucy Middleton in Cape Town   #lgbtqrights #lgbtnews #capetown

♬ Stories 2 – Danilo Stankovic
Imam Hendricks speaks about why he came out and started his work of creating an inclusive Islam.

According to a Pink News article following his death,

Hendricks ran workshops for imams across Africa, helping them to develop an inclusive understanding of gender and sexuality within Islam. Julia Ehrt, executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) urged the authorities to investigate “what we fear may be a hate crime. He 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,” she said. Hendricks’ work in Africa was considered vital, where homosexuality is still illegal in 31 out of 54 nations, with South Africa being the only country in the continent that allows same-sex marriage.

Muhsin’s life and work was the subject of a 2022 documentary, ‘The Radical: A Gay Imam’s Choice of Faith Over Fear’. In the documentary, the Imam talks about the death threats he received and continued to receive since coming out. In an interview with The Guardian, the Imam said,

“The need to be authentic is greater than my fear to die.”

Our thoughts as the Trans & Intersex History Africa team go out to the Imam’s family, friends, colleagues, those he counselled spiritually and the many whose lives he touched. This senseless murder makes a mockery of the South African constitution and the values of inclusivity and celebration of difference we all hold dear, especially in our trans and intersex movements in Africa and we call on the South African police services and government to deliver justice for a man who was an exemplary South African and human being.

Elspeth Engelbrecht from The Triangle Project wrote this moving obituary: