Imam Muhsin Hendricks is one of the world’s first openly queer Muslim prayer leaders. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Hendricks heads the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, an international organization that helps LGBTQ+ Muslims reconcile their faith and their sexual orientation. Hendricks grew up in a religiously-conservative community where his grandfather, leader of the local mosque, preached that gay people would go to hell. Homosexual activity is still condemned within much of mainstream Islam, as well as across much of the African continent. For years, Hendricks struggled over his own sexual identity. He studied religion, got married to a woman and had three children. He finally came out as queer in 1996. Hendricks now argues for new interpretations of Islamic views on homosexuality. With an active presence on social media and online, he seeks to support marginalized Muslims and promote a vision of Islam that he describes as “all-inclusive and compassion centered.”
This video was produced by Kim Lawton as part of “Spiritual Exemplars: A Global Project on Engaged Spirituality” at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, with support from the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the supporting organizations.
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Kim Lawton is a journalist fellow with the Spiritual Exemplars Project.
