His mental health got so bad that his dad asked me to speak to him because I was living with HIV openly and taking medications. By then he was dying of Aids-related pneumonia and refused treatment because he saw his illness as divine punishment. How can you heal physically when you believe your very existence is a sin?
That says everything about what happens when people use religion to promote hate, division, intolerance and disrespect. It doesn't matter which religion it is. When you believe you're a criminal, a sinner and mentally ill on top of all that, it affects everything — how you care for yourself, whether you seek help, how you manage any health conditions.
Many young queer Muslim kids, older queer men and lesbians cannot get access to counselling services, healthcare services, education about health issues or mental health issues. You just don't want anyone to see you in places where queers gather. The fear of being recognised, ostracised from your community, or even reported to religious authorities creates insurmountable barriers to accessing essential services.
'Ons sal nie wegkruip nie(we won’t hide)'
After Muhsin's death, there was an outpouring of support from the queer community and some in the Muslim community. Progressive Muslim intellectuals havestood firm, which is remarkable given the levels of threats against them.
The United Ulama Council of South Africaput out a statement saying: “Islamic teachings and traditions unequivocally prohibit same-sex relationships,” before adding: “However, UUCSA condemns all forms of extrajudicial killings.” The question is whether the word “extrajudicial killing” is deliberately chosen. Does it mean if we get you in Iran, we will make sure your head is cut off or you're stoned to death?
In 2022, the Muslim Judicial Council, regarded as orthodox yet at times liberal,issued a fatwa — a ruling on a point of Islamic law given — saying that when you're queer, you put yourself outside the community of faith. That is a code for hate, a wolf whistle. They don't explicitly say “go kill”, they just say “no Muslim should have contact”. They somewhat retracted it, but ultimately the damage is done.
All human beings need to belong somewhere. For some people, belonging is related to faith and culture. For me, it's related to politics and culture.
What matters is that we create spaces where everyone can belong, where no-one has to hide who they are or fear for their lives because of who they love. That's the legacy Muhsin left us, and it's one we must fight to protect.
Unless we speak out about his murder, they will come after us one by one. We have to show people:ons sal nie wegkruip nie(we won’t hide)— we may be afraid, but we're not going to run away.
• Zackie Achmat is a socialist who has been active in politics since 1976