Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries happymamay

Murder Mohsen Hendrix, a gay imam, in South Africa, has left people in the LGBTQ community+ for fear of their safety – but he is also determined to move forward in the campaign to end marginalization in religious circles.

Reverend Toni Kruger -Ipzipvoy, an explicit gay Christian cleric, told the BBC that Hendricks was a “nice spirit” that brought light to any room he occupied.

“The gap is fond of huge delicious papers,” she told the BBC.

The 57 -year -old has been killed in a great success on Saturday in the small coastal city of GQEBerha.

Initial reports that Hendrix, based in Cape Town, was in GQEBerha to perform the wedding of a gay couple that was rejected as incorrect by the Jourba Foundation.

He said in a statement, “He was visiting GQEBerha to hold a marriage of two different sexes when he was tragicly shot,” he said in a statement.

It is unclear why Hondrix couples asked Hondrix to supervise their celebrations, but he indicates that he was pushing the border, even in the last seconds of his life.

The traditional imams in South Africa rarely lead, if any, a Muslim’s marriage to a non -Muslim – which was not a problem.

He was, according to Eman leader, to him, the BBC spoke to him, one of the marriage ceremony was on his way to hold the next ruling when he was shot in his car.

Two of the leading bodies representing the imams – the Islamic Judicial Council (MJC) and the United States Council in South Africa (UUCSA) – condemned the killing of Hendrix.

MJC said: “As members of a democratic and pluralistic society, MJC is still fixed in calling for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, even amid mixed views,” MJC said.

However, Hendrix – who made his Islamic studies in Pakistan – was an outrageous in their circles, because they carry the opinion that Islam prohibits gay relations.

They clearly referred to him in the name of “Mr. Hendrix”, instead of religious titles such as the Imam or the Sheikh.

On the contrary, Hindorx supporters praised that he was the first gay imam in the world, which made them possible for them to reconcile their sexual lives with their Islamic faith.

It was not surprising-the Constitution of South Africa, which was adopted in 1996 after the end of the white fly base, was the first in the world to protect people from discrimination because of their sexual tendency.

Then in 2006, South Africa became the first country in Africa to codify gay marriage.

Once in a marriage of two different sexes with children, hendricks came out as gay in 1996 – and according to the conversation, later broken other taboos Marriage to a Hindu man.

Then the formation of the inner circle was led as a “social group and underground support” for strange Muslims.

He started at his home in Cape Town, and “it has been very successful in helping Muslims who are successful between Islam and their sexual lives,” The internal circle site says.

Although South Africa has a flourishing scene LGBTQ+, members of society still face some stigma and violence.

Only a few religious groups in the country have adopted more policies towards society, including the Dutch reform church and the Methodic Church in South Africa.

The Dutch correction church was in 2019 imposed by the courts To restore the policy I presented four years ago, but then it was canceled, allowing gay marriage, gay priests and lesbians to be in romantic relationships.

The following year, the Methodic Church said that although “it was not yet ready to apply for its ministers to marry the same sex”, no player in a member of a member who recognizes civil unions “will be prevented from entering such a union that can Be like sex couples or interviewers. “

Reverend Eleles de Lang, the director of comprehensive ministries and confirmation (IAM), told BBC that even in cases where religious groups have adopted comprehensive policies there are still “pockets from a very strong province.”

She said: “The traditional interpretations of the sacred texts are still excluding people LGBTQ+, and therefore the struggle for acceptance within religious societies is still ongoing.”

Dr. Fatima Isop, the supreme lecture in Islamic studies at West Kib University in South Africa, reflected on the “sad” content on social media in the wake of the killing of Hindorx.

“I just find that this is completely horrific and far from our Islamic tradition, which is everything about sympathy, mercy and preserving human life,” she told the BBC.

Dr. Isop added that although she understood some strong feelings against Hendrix’s work, there was no justification, Islamic or otherwise, for this type of violence.

Although the motivation is unclear, the killing of Hendrick – and the negative comments that followed – are likely to make people fear “talking about their sexual lives or their sexual tendency.”

Reverend Krogger -Ipasipvoy said that although the shooting at Hendricks will make LGBTQ leaders rethink their security, it will not deter them from campaigns for change “because the work is very important.”

Hendricks was already buried at a special ceremony, although the Gurbaah Foundation pledged to organize a memorial in the near future “to honor its tremendous contributions.”

For Toboho Klaas, the official of the debt program in the other institution, who slows the rights of LGBTQ+ in South Africa, his killers may have cut off his life “but not his legacy because he doubled himself.”