The Murder of Muhsin Hendricks
The tragic murder of Muhsin Hendricks has yet again highlighted the brutality of our struggle. The spotlight swings onto the topic of LGBTQIA+ Muslims once more, and with it come the terrifying reality of how dangerous it is for us to simply exist.
The reaction of a lot of Muslims is at times chilling and it can be difficult not to see what's online as a reflection of the larger Muslim community. Fear, bigotry and ignorance spew out onto comment sections of posts that seek to remember and pay tribute to the late imam, and then ensues the war of opinions and malignant rhetoric that often follows these "controversial" posts.
In truth we are an easy target. Easily othered, easily identified and easily scapegoated for issues that were never in our power of making. Islam is a complex and ancient religion, the texts of which can and have been interpreted in hundreds of ways. Scholars have examined verses and words for decades of their study and yet there is no single consensus for all Muslims to follow.
In its very nature Islam recognises that its followers are flawed, in its very central doctrine is the notion of the unwavering forgiveness of the Creator. At no point are we asked to be perfect, we need only submit and repent, and do our best to follow the guidance set out before us. Allah recognises we will falter and fail and yet he asks only that we come back to Him. The only judge in all the worlds is Allah, and we are instructed to leave judgement only to Him. And yet here we are. Those who reject us find righteousness in their hatred. They are so insecure in their own faith, so ashamed of their own acts and so terrified of their own judgement that they seek to point to us, a logical fallacy that's almost insulting to the very nature of final judgement. Each soul is accountable for itself and nothing more.
We need visibility and resistance now more than ever. Social media is everywhere, and accessible without any real checks and balances to all. Those who are youngest, and those who are most vulnerable in our community will be at risk of being exposed to terrifying and dangerous opinions. They need to see that they have community, they have peers and role models, and that people who will love and accept them exist in all corners of the world. That was the message of Muhsin Hendricks, that Islam is inclusive, and beautiful, and full of love.
So I urge you all, wherever you see hatred being strewn across these platforms with such indignity, to challenge and resist if you can. We owe it to all those who have fallen for our struggle, and all those who will come after us to maintain the momentum in any way we can. We have come so incredibly far, and we need to showcase this, and be visible and proud.
