{"id":3370,"date":"2025-02-19T00:16:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370"},"modified":"2025-02-19T00:16:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:16:15","slug":"even-in-his-final-seconds-of-life-first-gay-imam-pushed-boundaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370","title":{"rendered":"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-0 haItSe\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new-contributors\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-12 fcCDwR\">\n<div class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-5 evAEAB\">\n<div><span class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-7 khDNZq\">Khanyi Ngcobo<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>BBC News, Johannesburg<!-- --><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 EXUng\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a5e6\/live\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp\" alt=\"AFP A side profile Muhsin Hendricks is seen in a white shirt with a green cloth over one shoulder.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">AFP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The execution-style killing of<!-- --><b id=\"\" class=\"sc-7dcfb11b-0 kVRnKf\"> <!-- --><\/b>an openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, in South Africa has left people in the LGBTQ+ community fearful for their safety &#8211; but also determined to forge ahead with the campaign to end their marginalisation in religious circles. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Reverend Toni Kruger-Ayebazibwe, an openly gay Christian cleric, told the BBC that Hendricks was a &#8220;gentle spirit&#8221; who brought light into any room he occupied. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;The gap Muhsin leaves is massive,&#8221; she told the BBC, adding that she knew for a fact that there there were &#8220;a large number of queer Muslims around the world who are grief stricken&#8221;. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The 57-year-old was shot dead in what appeared to be a hit on Saturday in the small coastal city of Gqeberha. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Initial reports that Cape Town-based Hendricks had been in Gqeberha to perform the wedding ceremony of a gay couple have been dismissed as untrue by his Al-Gurbaah Foundation.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;He was visiting Gqeberha to officiate the marriages of two interfaith heterosexual couples when he was tragically shot and killed,&#8221; it said in a statement. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">It is unclear why the couples had asked Hendricks to oversee their ceremonies, but it suggests that he was pushing the boundaries, even in the last seconds of his life. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Traditional imams in South Africa rarely, if ever, perform the marriage of a Muslim to a non-Muslim &#8211; something that Hendricks clearly had no issue with. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">He had, according to a faith leader that the BBC spoke to, conducted one such marriage ceremony and was on his way to conduct the next one when he was gunned down in his vehicle.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/e89b\/live\/5341ac00-ee4d-11ef-bd1b-d536627785f2.jpg.webp\" alt=\"AFP A protester waves a rainbow flag during a march by the LBTQ community at the University of Cape Town in July 2023.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">AFP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">South Africa has a thriving LGBTQ+ community and in 2006 became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Two leading bodies that represent imams &#8211; the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) &#8211; condemned Hendricks&#8217; killing. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;As members of a democratic, pluralistic society, the MJC remains steadfast in advocating for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, even amidst divergent views,&#8221; the MJC said, while the UUCSA said it condemned &#8220;all forms of extra-judicial killings&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">However, Hendricks &#8211; who did his Islamic studies in Pakistan &#8211; was a pariah in their circles, as they hold the view that Islam prohibits same-sex relations. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">They pointedly referred to him as &#8220;Mr Hendricks&#8221;, rather than by religious titles like imam or sheikh. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">In contrast, Hendricks&#8217; supporters hailed him as the world&#8217;s first openly gay imam who made it possible for them to reconcile their sexuality with their Islamic faith.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">That he was a trail-blazer is not surprising &#8211; South Africa&#8217;s constitution, adopted in 1996 after the end of white-minority rule, was the first in the world to protect people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Then in 2006, South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Once in a heterosexual marriage with children, Hendricks came out as gay in 1996 &#8211; and, according to The Conversation, he later broke another taboo by <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/murder-of-gay-south-african-imam-muhsin-hendricks-reignites-queer-muslim-debate-250087\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">marrying a Hindu man<!-- --><\/a>. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">He then spearheaded the formation of The Inner Circle as &#8220;an underground social and support group&#8221; for queer Muslims.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">It started out at his home in Cape Town, and has &#8220;proven to be very successful in helping Muslims who are queer to reconcile Islam with their sexuality&#8221;, <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theinnercircle.org.za\/about\/\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">The Inner Circle&#8217;s website says<!-- --><\/a>.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Despite South Africa having a thriving LGBTQ+ scene, members of the community still face some stigmatisation and violence. <!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/2fa3\/live\/57c107b0-ee4f-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg.webp\" alt=\"AFP Muslim women in headscarves stand in a row with their heads bowed in prayer near Johannesburg, South Africa\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">AFP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 cvNhQw\">Most religious groups in South Africa have shied away from recognising same-sex unions<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Only a few of the country&#8217;s religious groups have adopted policies that are more favourable towards the community, among them the Dutch Reformed Church and the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.news24.com\/news24\/same-sex-marriages-dutch-reformed-churchs-decision-diminished-gay-congregants-integrity-court-20190308\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 bZUiKB\" rel=\"noopener\">The Dutch Reformed Church was in 2019 forced by the courts<!-- --><\/a> to reinstate a policy it had introduced four years earlier, but then scrapped, allowing same-sex marriages and for gay and lesbian pastors to be in romantic relationships. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">The following year, the Methodist Church said that while it was &#8220;not yet ready to apply for its ministers to officiate at same-sex marriages&#8221;, no congregant residing in a member country that recognised civil unions would be &#8220;prevented from entering into such a union which can be as same-sex or opposite sex couples&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Reverend Ecclesia de Lange, the director at Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), told the BBC that even in instances where faith groups had adopted inclusive policies there were still &#8220;pockets of very strong conservatism&#8221;. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;The traditional interpretations of sacred texts continue to exclude LGBTQ+ people, so the struggle for acceptance within faith communities remains ongoing,&#8221; she said.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Senior lecturer in Islamic Studies at South Africa&#8217;s University of the Western Cape, Dr Fatima Essop, reflected on the &#8220;distressing&#8221; vitriolic content circulating on social media in the wake of Hendricks&#8217; killing.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">&#8220;I just find that completely shocking and so far removed from our&#8230; Islamic tradition, which is all about compassion and mercy and preservation of human life,&#8221; she told the BBC.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Dr Essop added that while she understood some of the strong feelings against Hendricks&#8217; work, there was &#8220;absolutely no justification, Islamic or otherwise, for this kind of violence&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">And while the motive is unclear, Hendrick&#8217;s killing &#8211; and the negative comments that followed &#8211; was likely to make people fearful to &#8220;speak about their sexuality or sexual orientation&#8221;, Dr Essop said.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Reverend Kruger-Ayebazibwe said that while Hendricks&#8217; shooting would make LGBTQ+ leaders rethink their security, it would not deter them from campaigning for change &#8220;because the work matters too much&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">Hendricks has already been buried at a private ceremony, though his Al-Gurbaah Foundation has pledged to organise a memorial in the near future to &#8220;honour his immense contributions&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe\">For Teboho Klaas, the religion programme officer at The Other Foundation, which champions LGBTQ+ rights in southern Africa, his killers may have cut his life short &#8220;but not his legacy because he has multiplied himself&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 class=\"sc-518485e5-0 kRvAla\">You may be interested in:<!-- --><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 gfTVSf\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/0a19\/live\/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp\" alt=\"Getty Images\/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 fxQYxK\">Getty Images\/BBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Khanyi Ngcobo BBC News, Johannesburg AFP The execution-style killing of an openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, in South Africa has left people in the LGBTQ+ community fearful for their safety&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[4454,1370,629,4452,830,4453,2296],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries - Frisco Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Peers and scholars reflected on the role Hendricks played within the LGBTQ+ and Islamic communities.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries - Frisco Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Peers and scholars reflected on the role Hendricks played within the LGBTQ+ and Islamic communities.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Frisco Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-19T00:16:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"576\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@FriscoTimes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@FriscoTimes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a19164ce1d831906a076fe0ad133471f\"},\"headline\":\"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-19T00:16:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\"},\"wordCount\":1008,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"boundaries\",\"Final\",\"Gay\",\"imam\",\"life\",\"pushed\",\"seconds\"],\"articleSection\":[\"World\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\",\"name\":\"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries - Frisco Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-19T00:16:15+00:00\",\"description\":\"Peers and scholars reflected on the role Hendricks played within the LGBTQ+ and Islamic communities.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":576},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/\",\"name\":\"Frisco Times\",\"description\":\"Your Gateway to San Francisco&#039;s Stories\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Frisco Times\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240625172131.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240625172131.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Frisco Times\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/FriscoTimes\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/friscotimes\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a19164ce1d831906a076fe0ad133471f\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5ed783f9b26be57eee85bf9b23488a?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5ed783f9b26be57eee85bf9b23488a?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries - Frisco Times","description":"Peers and scholars reflected on the role Hendricks played within the LGBTQ+ and Islamic communities.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries - Frisco Times","og_description":"Peers and scholars reflected on the role Hendricks played within the LGBTQ+ and Islamic communities.","og_url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370","og_site_name":"Frisco Times","article_published_time":"2025-02-19T00:16:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":576,"url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@FriscoTimes","twitter_site":"@FriscoTimes","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a19164ce1d831906a076fe0ad133471f"},"headline":"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries","datePublished":"2025-02-19T00:16:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370"},"wordCount":1008,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg","keywords":["boundaries","Final","Gay","imam","life","pushed","seconds"],"articleSection":["World"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370","url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370","name":"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries - Frisco Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-19T00:16:15+00:00","description":"Peers and scholars reflected on the role Hendricks played within the LGBTQ+ and Islamic communities.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/c1b48790-ee46-11ef-a319-fb4e7360c4ec.jpg","width":1024,"height":576},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?p=3370#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/","name":"Frisco Times","description":"Your Gateway to San Francisco&#039;s Stories","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#organization","name":"Frisco Times","url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240625172131.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cropped-\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240625172131.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Frisco Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/FriscoTimes","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/friscotimes\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a19164ce1d831906a076fe0ad133471f","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5ed783f9b26be57eee85bf9b23488a?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5e5ed783f9b26be57eee85bf9b23488a?s=96&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/friscotimes.org"],"url":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3370"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3370\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friscotimes.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}