{"product_id":"mushin-hendricks-south-african-imam-pride-t-shirt-1","title":"Muhsin Hendricks | South African Imam \u0026 LGBTQ+ Rights Advocate | Pride T-Shirt","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuhsin Hendricks | South African Imam \u0026amp; LGBTQ+ Rights Advocate | Pride T-Shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMuhsin Hendricks (1967–2025) was a South African imam, Islamic scholar, counselor, and internationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ Muslims. Widely regarded as the world’s first openly gay imam, he devoted nearly three decades to helping people reconcile their sexual orientation or gender identity with their Islamic faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Cape Town in June 1967, Hendricks grew up in a traditional Muslim family and studied Arabic and Islamic sciences in Pakistan. After publicly coming out as gay in 1996, he began building a support network for queer Muslims who felt rejected by their families, religious communities, or traditional places of worship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat network became The Inner Circle, later known as the Al-Fitrah Foundation. Hendricks subsequently led the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, through which he provided religious education, counseling, inclusive worship, community support, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ Muslims. His work challenged the belief that queer identity and Islamic faith must be irreconcilable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHendricks’ ministry and activism reached audiences throughout South Africa and internationally. His life and work were documented in the 2022 film The Radical, which followed his ministry and the queer Muslims who found community through it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn February 15, 2025, Hendricks was killed in a targeted shooting while visiting Gqeberha, South Africa. Although LGBTQ+ organizations called for the possibility of a hate crime to be investigated, authorities had not established the motive. His death brought renewed international attention to his ministry and the communities he spent his life supporting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Front Design\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe front presents two stylized Theban warriors standing shoulder to shoulder behind overlapping shields. The paired warriors reference the Sacred Band of Thebes, traditionally described as 300 soldiers organized into 150 devoted male pairs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir overlapping shields represent mutual protection. Their shared stance and horizontal spear express loyalty, common purpose, and the courage created when people refuse to abandon one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePride colors move across the warriors’ armor, cloaks, shields, and spear, connecting the historical emblem with the continuing visibility of LGBTQ+ people. The emblem does not portray Hendricks as an ancient warrior; it places his documented courage within a broader symbolic company of men who stood beside others in the face of hostility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeneath the emblem appears:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMUHSIN HENDRICKS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSOUTH AFRICAN | IMAM \u0026amp; LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ADVOCATE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou’ve always been in good company.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inscription recognizes Hendricks as both a religious leader and an advocate. It affirms that LGBTQ+ people of faith have always been part of the human story—even when their presence was denied, condemned, or deliberately concealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Back Design\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe back features a weathered stone lion inspired by the Lion of Chaeronea, the monument associated with the Theban soldiers who fell at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe seated lion represents dignity, vigilance, courage, and remembrance. Its weathered surface evokes history damaged by time, conflict, and attempted erasure. Pride-colored pigment appears through the cracks, symbolizing identities that survived beneath generations of condemnation and silence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo overlapping shields at the monument’s base recall the loyalty of the paired Theban warriors. They also reflect Hendricks’ commitment to creating places where queer Muslims could protect, affirm, and strengthen one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inscription reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTHE SACRED BAND OF THEBES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCHAERONEA · 338 BCE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, the front and back transform the shirt into a wearable memorial—connecting an ancient tradition of devotion with a modern religious leader who insisted that LGBTQ+ people should not have to choose between faith and authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy Muhsin Hendricks Belongs in the Company\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMuhsin Hendricks created space for people told their faith and identity could never coexist. Through religious scholarship, counseling, inclusive worship, public advocacy, and international education, he helped queer Muslims approach their spiritual lives without surrendering who they were.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis importance extends beyond being widely regarded as the first openly gay imam. His greater accomplishment was turning personal honesty into sustained service to others. The Company of Sacred Men remembers Hendricks not only for challenging exclusion, but for building communities where dignity, faith, and belonging could exist together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Accomplishments\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecame widely regarded as the world’s first openly gay imam after publicly coming out in 1996.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEstablished The Inner Circle, later known as the Al-Fitrah Foundation, to support LGBTQ+ Muslims.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLed the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation and promoted inclusive Islamic worship, education, counseling, and community care.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHelped LGBTQ+ Muslims reconcile their religious faith with their sexual orientation or gender identity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrought international visibility to queer Muslim experiences through advocacy, public speaking, and the documentary The Radical.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrinted on the AS Colour 5001 Staple Tee, this regular-fit crew neck is made with mid-weight combed cotton for a structured yet comfortable feel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegular fit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCrew neck\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMid-weight fabric\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e100% combed cotton in solid colors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeather colors may contain 15% viscose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSide-seamed construction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShoulder-to-shoulder taping\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDouble-needle hems\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePreshrunk fabric\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFront-and-back printed design\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo coordinated artwork versions preserve the same composition while providing strong contrast on light and dark garment colors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Walt \u0026amp; Pete® Mission\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWalt \u0026amp; Pete® preserves LGBTQ+ history through restored archival imagery and historically informed art. Forgotten Moments, Forever Remembered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not iron\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not dry clean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMachine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not bleach\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not tumble dry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEU representative\u003c\/strong\u003e: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct information\u003c\/strong\u003e: AS Colour 5001, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999\/44\/EC\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e: Machine wash: cold (max 30C or 90F), Do not bleach, Do not tumble dry, Do not iron, Do not 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