On Saturday morning the bullets of masked assassins ripped through the body of Imam Muhsin Hendricks while he sat in the back seat of a car. He was on his way to officiate a marriage. News of his death spread like wildfire on social media and activism channels with a video of the killing making the rounds. There were outpourings of grief and anger from those who knew and loved him.
I was alerted to the incident through a mutual friend. As the head of Amnesty International South Africa it is not unusual for me to receive reports of killings including assassinations, extra judicial killings, femicide and other gender-based violence-related killings. But this one hit hard. Muhsin was my friend and the pain of his loss intense. I was overcome with feelings of sadness and anger at the loss of such an amazing, funny, courageous and kind person and the brutal way in which he was killed.
I recalled the many conversations we had over the years about the threats to his life as a result of the work he was doing. He knew the work was dangerous and could cost him his life but he was not deterred by the threats.
Muhsin was adamant that his greatest fear was not death but being forced to live an unauthentic life. It was the determination to live authentically, practice the faith he loved without fear as a gay Imam and fight for the rights of others that drove him.
I first met Muhsin in 2014 when I was on a partner visit to Cape Town. What was supposed to be a one hour meeting ended with me spending most of the day with Muhsin and his team at The Inner Circle, an organisation he founded to provide a safe space for Muslims grappling with their sexual orientation and their faith. We connected immediately and were able to share experiences of spending time in Pakistan (I was born there and Muhsin studied Islam there), we both spoke Urdu, grew up in strict Muslim homes and loved Pakistani fashion.
We stayed in touch and Muhsin invited me to the 2016 Annual International Retreat, a week long programme of deep spiritual reflection, healing, activism and consciousness raising organised by The Inner Circle. The retreat brought together people from around the world and it was here that I was able to witness first-hand the impact Muhsin had in providing support and comfort to LGBTI Muslims. His death has left many bereft.
As Amnesty International we condemn the murder of the Imam, and call for a prompt, effective and thorough investigation into his murder that leads to justice. The criminal justice system must hold the perpetrator(s) accountable and act as a deterrent against such horrific crimes.
Muhsin was a human rights defender who fearlessly fought for the rights of a marginalised community, which continues to faces discrimination and stigma.
Tragically, the killing of human rights defenders like Muhsin is not unusual in South Africa. Every day human rights defenders face threats, intimidation, harassment and death all because they are standing up for human rights.
Unfortunately there has been very little justice for many of these human rights defenders who have been brutally killed.
The state has the ultimate responsibility to protect human rights defenders, and to prevent and effectively address allegations of violations committed against them. This requires reacting swiftly and effectively to threats, harassment and attacks, as well as proactively creating a safe and enabling environment in which they are able to carry out their vital work safely and without fear of reprisals.
This is why the country needs legislation specifically for the protection of human rights defenders.
Some may argue that human rights defenders are protected through current legislation which is meant to ensure the protection of everyone living in South Africa, and the very limited legislation we have to protect whistleblowers, despite that not being sufficient for whistleblower protection. But there is a difference.
International human rights law and standards establish and protect the right to defend human rights as an autonomous and independent right. In particular the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders recognises the right of individuals to promote and strive for the protection of human rights, individually and in association with others. Given the increased vulnerabilities of human rights defenders, as Amnesty International we believe separate legislation is needed to provide additional protection mechanisms. The killing of human rights defenders must be taken seriously by the government and action must be taken to ensure their protection.
Muhsin fought tirelessly and bravely for the rights of the LGBTI community, despite reportedly receiving regular death threats, and his legacy will live on through everyone who continues to fight for basic human rights. Rest softly my brave friend. We will continue to fight for justice for you and all human rights defenders.
This opinion piece first appeared on News24 on 18 February 2025.
