Muhsin Hendricks

2006

Muhsin Hendricks

The Inner Circle

http://www.theinnercircle-za.org/

Johannesburg, South Africa

The Bold Idea:

The Inner Circle, with chapters in Johannesburg and Cape Town, supports, educates, and empowers gay Muslims and their allies and strategically fights homophobia by creating awareness on issues of gender and sexuality in the Muslim community. Gay Muslims are regularly forced, through the orthodox interpretation of the Quran and the Prophetic teachings, to make the decision between Islam and their sexuality. Nearly 98 percent of The Inner Circle’s current members and clients have experienced significant trauma because of their inability to reconcile religion and sexuality.

Biography:

Muhsin studied Arabic and Islamic Jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Karachi (Jamia Dirasat in Karachi, Pakistan). He was a practicing Imam and teacher in his community before he came out.

Moment of Obligation: Why did you want to create your new organization?
My personal life story bears testimony to the fact that queer Muslims experience trauma in reconciling their sexuality with their faith. I often questioned why I would be condemned for something I did not choose to be or why I am not allowed to express my same-sex love. My quest for the truth has led me to do my own research on Islam and homosexuality.  The results of my research have helped me tremendously to reconcile the two, which for many queer Muslims are equal components of their social and biological makeup. I experienced the trauma; I saw the pain and the negative way in which queer Muslims negotiated the dilemma. I needed to share my research with them and help them to express their sexuality and continue to practice their faith as their basic human right.

Gall to Think Big: What has given you the ability to take on deeply entrenched social problems?
I was raised in an ultra-orthodox Islamic home. My grandfather was the Imam of our community, my mother a Muslim school teacher, and my father a spiritual healer. Hence, I have been hearing Quran recited and Islam preached everyday of my life. I studied Arabic and Islamic studies at the Islamic University of Karachi (Jamia Dirasat Al-Islamia), and returned four years later to serve my community as an Islamic scholar, teacher, and Imam until I was ostracized because of my sexuality. I am familiar with the Muslim mindset. I am not an outsider to my community and I am aware of my community’s challenges.  I feel deeply passionate about Islam and practice it with integrity; the part of Islam that calls for respect for others' beliefs and freedoms rather than teaching exclusivism; the part of Islam that teaches me that God does not make distinctions between people except in God-consciousness.

New and Untested: Describe what’s innovative about your new work.
The existing gay and lesbian organizations are largely secular. Hence they cannot fully support a person struggling to reconcile faith with sexuality. Neither can the existing Islamic organizations support the gay person as they do not have the infrastructure to deal with LGBTQ issues. The Inner Circle is unique in the sense that it  not only provides services to support queer Muslims, but also strategically fights homophobia in the Muslim community through education, training, research, and outreach. The model and strategy my organization uses for social change is not geographically limited but can be implemented in Muslim contexts across the globe.

Seeing Possibilities: What do you believe are the most important qualities to do social change work?
Keep clear intentions and pursue your vision with integrity. In order to effectively transform society, we have to place their needs above our own. We are as good as our last achievement; hence, we should always strive to better ourselves. It’s not a weakness to fall; strength lies in the ability to pick ourselves up and continue towards the fulfillment of our purpose.

Which musical artists/albums get you going?
I enjoy Indian instrumental music and the romantic songs of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Pankaj Udhas, and Jagjit Singh. Well, for that matter, every song that has a deeper meaning and every tune that takes me away momentarily.

What books do you recommend (pleasure, work and anything in between)?The Alchemist by Paul Coelho.

Which websites do you visit often (work and/or personal)?  

• yahoo.com  

Any last words, thoughts or advice to other social change leaders?
Think back to the time when you were a child and how you used to dream without limitations. Don’t allow negativity and years of social conditioning to dictate your limits. Dreams and visions are energies; when you work towards actualizing it, you are forcing the universe to co-operate. It does not help to step over others while at the same time professing to create social change. As a social entrepreneur, your success and happiness lie in helping others to find happiness.