Abstract
The assassination of Imam Muhsin Hendricks—the first openly queer imam in South Africa and globally—triggered immediate and intense responses, both within South Africa and beyond. His death became a focal point for competing interpretations of religious authority, legitimacy, and the place of queerness within Islam. Was he a martyr for justice, or a sinner punished by divine will? A true religious leader, or an impostor misusing the title of “imam”? This paper analyzes statements issued by various Muslim organizations in South Africa following Hendricks’ death, examining how they framed his religious status and moral standing. It explores how these narratives both reflect and shape broader anxieties about Islam, queerness, and religious authority in an era of intensified global polarization. Using a framework of discourse analysis, the paper situates these local contestations within a larger transnational debate over the intersection of Islam and LGBTQ+ identities. In doing so, it highlights how vulnerability—both personal and discursive—becomes a site of struggle, where meanings are contested, reinforced, or subverted in the ongoing negotiation of religious and political identities.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Queer Islam, South African Islam, Religious authority, Moral Contestations
