This falls into the “you really couldn’t see this coming?” department:

Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world's first openly gay imam, was shot and killed in South Africa over the weekend, as authorities investigate whether the murder was a hate crime.

Yeah, that’s a puzzler.

In a statement obtained by the BBC, police said that Hendricks was killed Saturday morning while traveling near the city of Gqeberha in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. His car was reportedly ambushed.

"Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle," authorities said.

Graphic: Al Jazeera Screenshot

Uh, isn’t Islam kind of, you know, down on homosexuality? Don’t Islamists kill homosexuals, usually by throwing them, bound, off tall buildings? Why yes, yes it is, and yes they do as Islam Question and Answer explains: 

The crime of homosexuality is one of the greatest of crimes, the worst of sins and the most abhorrent of deeds, and Allah punished those who did it in a way that He did not punish other nations.

That seems clear enough, and so does this:

The Companions unanimously agreed on the execution of homosexuals , but they differed as to how they were to be executed. Some of them were of the view that they should be burned with fire, which was the view of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and also of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), as we shall see below. And some of them thought that they should be thrown down from a high place then have stones thrown at them. This was the view of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). 

This is a stunning statement of self-delusion:

"The Inner Circle [a gay advocacy group Hendricks founded] is the longest standing, largest and most influential human rights organization in the world that deals with Islam, gender and sexual diversity from an Islamic theological perspective," the organization's website reads. "The Inner Circle works internationally and supports international affiliate organizations to do similar work, within an Islamic framework."

“An Islamic theological perspective?” “Within an Islamic framework?” ABC, as one might suspect, is equally deluded, as this headline suggests:

The silence following the murder of Imam Muhsin Hendricks reflects the erasure of queer Muslim history

And what “queer Muslim history” would that be? How does that “history” comport with “the religion of peace,” as President George W. Bush put it after 9-11?

Islam remains among the very few religions that kill apostates. While others, such as Christianity, can cite clear scripture to disapprove of homosexuality, it has been a long time since Christians, as a matter of doctrine, killed anyone on the LGBTQ spectrum. A number of Christian denominations are currently split into factions that observe the scriptures and those that exalt LGBTQ politics above scriptural authority. Even in the scriptural faiths, no one is suggesting killing non-believers. They’re generally content not to elevate them to the priesthood. Not so with Islam.

Certainly, many Muslims have no desire to kill anyone, and prefer to live in peace with their neighbors of all faiths. However, they’re not observing the letter and intent of Islam, and more militant Muslims consider them apostates, subject to death. That every Muslim not on the path of jihad is not killed by jihadists like those who killed Hendricks is likely mostly a matter of priority rather than tolerance. Islamists generally seem to have bigger fish to fry.

Islamic beliefs are clear and readily discoverable, so why should anyone imagine a “gay Imam” wouldn’t be killed? Why would that come as a surprise, and why would anyone be shocked when Muslims committing savage violence are following the teachings of their faith?

Considering thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Islamists are in the United States, names and locations unknown, those are the kinds of questions we ought to be answering. Joe Biden’s handlers invited them in without vetting.  It seems certain that the Trump Administration is determined to find and deport such monsters, but that’s going to take time.

As I noted in The coming terrorist attacks in August of 2024, those Islamists aren’t here for better lives. They’re here to end American—infidel--lives.

Americans often make the mistake of thinking other cultures are like ours. Their people are like ours. They wear our athletic shoes, jeans and t-shirts don’t they? Because we wouldn’t kill LGBTQ adherents, we tend to think others wouldn’t either. Some deluded Americans go so far as to lecture us, asking who are we to criticize other cultures? No culture, and particularly not American culture, is better than any other, don’t you know?

Muhsin Hendricks, were he still alive, might have a more realistic take on that issue. It’s a take we’d be wise to take to heart and soon.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.