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00:00His killing has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ community and beyond.
00:06Maseen Hendricks, who was hailed as the world's first openly gay imam, was shot dead over
00:11the weekend in what rights groups fear may be a hate crime.
00:15Hendricks' mosque in Cape Town was viewed as a safe haven for LGBTQ and other marginalised
00:20Muslims and championing an inclusive faith, he had garnered international recognition.
00:26Those close to him are devastated.
00:28I've never met an openly gay imam like Imam Mohsen in my life, before I met him when I
00:34came here in South Africa.
00:36And another thing, the way he teaches Islam, the way he teaches religion, is different,
00:45you know.
00:46He's not this kind of person who makes you hate religion.
00:50Imam was not teaching people to become gay, was not teaching people to be homosexual,
00:55but he was teaching people, his teachings about faith, spiritual development of a human
01:00being, understanding your faith.
01:03Muslim groups have condemned the killing.
01:06Police insist they are looking into the incident, adding that the two suspects fled the scene.
01:11Activists are calling for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to
01:16justice.
01:17It sends a message, it's just a message of hate speech, a message of human rights,
01:25a message of violence, a message of living in safe communities and which calls for action.
01:35South Africa's constitution was the first in the world to bar discrimination on the
01:39grounds of sexual orientation, and in 2006, the country became the first on the continent
01:44to legalise same-sex marriage.
01:47But despite this, LGBTQ people in the country still grapple with high rates of discrimination
01:52and violence.
01:53It's time now for...