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Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday urged South African authorities to thoroughly investigate the assassination of an openly gay imam last week, demanding the country determine whether the killing was a hate crime and uphold its commitment to protecting all residents, including the LGBTQ+ community.
HRW stated:
Hendricks came out publicly in 1996. He went on to establish The Inner Circle, the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, and a mosque for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized Muslims. He maintained assurance that it was possible to embrace one’s sexual orientation without compromising one’s involvement in religion. Throughout his life, Hendricks was met with backlash from members of the Islamic faith, who asserted that homosexuality is frowned upon in Islam, and he received death threats before his murder.
Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) of South Africa released a press statement explaining that “while 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.”
Various sources have speculated that the murder was a product of hate. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his concern over the reports that the murder was likely a hate crime, stating that he anticipates the perpetrators will be held accountable. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development also released a statement acknowledging the murder and calling for efforts to prevent discrimination and hate crimes based on sexual orientation. The African National Congress, a political party in South Africa, further condemned the murder and called for enforcement agencies “to dismantle the networks of intolerance that continue to breed such violence.”
Section 9(4) of the South African Constitution reassures citizens of their protection against discrimination based on various factors, including sexual orientation. The Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act of 2023 establishes the definition and penalties of hate crimes and obligates government institutions and officials to initiate the prevention of such crimes. Despite protective legislation, HRW emphasized that there remain high rates of harassment, discrimination, and violence towards LGBTQ+ people in South Africa. In 2021, at least 24 people were murdered in bias-motivated attacks.
The post Assassination of openly gay imam in South Africa spurs hate crime concerns appeared first on JURIST - News.
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HRW stated:
Muhsin Hendricks was an openly gay imam, a title that is commonly used to describe a Muslim leader. He also served as an Islamic scholar and LGBTQ+ rights activist. Hendricks was shot and killed by masked assailants on February 15, 2025, and the killers have not yet been caught.
Hendricks came out publicly in 1996. He went on to establish The Inner Circle, the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, and a mosque for LGBTQ+ and other marginalized Muslims. He maintained assurance that it was possible to embrace one’s sexual orientation without compromising one’s involvement in religion. Throughout his life, Hendricks was met with backlash from members of the Islamic faith, who asserted that homosexuality is frowned upon in Islam, and he received death threats before his murder.
Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) of South Africa released a press statement explaining that “while 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.”
Various sources have speculated that the murder was a product of hate. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his concern over the reports that the murder was likely a hate crime, stating that he anticipates the perpetrators will be held accountable. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development also released a statement acknowledging the murder and calling for efforts to prevent discrimination and hate crimes based on sexual orientation. The African National Congress, a political party in South Africa, further condemned the murder and called for enforcement agencies “to dismantle the networks of intolerance that continue to breed such violence.”
Section 9(4) of the South African Constitution reassures citizens of their protection against discrimination based on various factors, including sexual orientation. The Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act of 2023 establishes the definition and penalties of hate crimes and obligates government institutions and officials to initiate the prevention of such crimes. Despite protective legislation, HRW emphasized that there remain high rates of harassment, discrimination, and violence towards LGBTQ+ people in South Africa. In 2021, at least 24 people were murdered in bias-motivated attacks.
The post Assassination of openly gay imam in South Africa spurs hate crime concerns appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.