Advocates said Hendricks claimed people were pushing for his mosque to close since it was branded as the "gay temple."

A man hailed as the world’s first imam to say he was gay was shot dead in South Africa on Saturday, local police said, in what rights groups fear could be a hate crime.

Muhsin Hendricks, renowned as the first openly gay Imam, was tragically killed in South Africa. Police report unclear motives behind the shooting. Advocates mourn his passing, highlighting his efforts in supporting LGBTQ+ Muslims.

Following the shooting of a pioneering imam, a video surfaced showing the openly gay Muslim prayer leader's murder. Police are probing the incident.

Hendricks, believed to be the world's first openly gay imam, was shot in a suspected hit in Gqeberha over the weekend.

Moegsien Hendricks, South Africa’s first openly gay imam, was tragically shot dead while officiating a wedding for a lesbian couple in the Eastern Cape, sparking outrage and calls for justice.

Hendricks, known for his advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, was gunned down in an alleged hit in Bethelsdorp, Gqeberha.

CCTV footage of the incident shows a hooded figure running out of a pick-up truck that was blocking Hendricks' vehicle and then firing shots through the window. The imam was well known for his work in creating a safe haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims and his killing shocked the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.