Jalsa Salana, the United Kingdom’s largest Muslim gathering, proceeded this weekend with significantly increased security staffing and coordination with police and emergency services. The event, organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s UK chapter, drew approximately 50,000 attendees from more than 100 countries to a temporary site in Hampshire. The convention, marking its 60th year, opened on Friday with religious services, speeches including remarks from the Ahmadiyya community’s global leader, and ceremonial proceedings. Public officials including Members of Parliament and bishops were scheduled to attend.
The heightened security measures responded to a climate of increasing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Earlier last month, another Islamic gathering was forced to conclude ahead of schedule following 12 arrests, including three individuals suspected of involvement in a far-right conspiracy to commit murder. Recent statistics indicated that mosques in Britain experience attacks at a rate of one every five days, while anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales increased 19 percent in the 12 months preceding March 2025.
Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated the organisation proceeded without hesitation despite the security challenges. He noted the community’s long presence in Britain, having established itself in 1913 and constructed one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926. Hayat described the community’s historical experience with various forms of opposition, ranging from far-right movements to protests during the construction of a mosque in Morden in the 1990s.
Rather than withdrawing from public engagement, Hayat emphasised the community’s strategy of building relationships with neighbours and local institutions. He outlined efforts to establish dialogue groups involving church representatives, local authorities, and police, noting that initial meetings were contentious but eventually fostered collaborative relationships. Hayat advocated for increased Muslim community engagement with the broader public as a means of addressing misconceptions about Islam.
Hayat acknowledged that hostility toward Ahmadis originated from multiple sources, including both far-right actors and extremist members within Muslim communities. He referenced a 2016 religiously motivated murder case in Glasgow and noted ongoing challenges from various quarters. Despite these threats, he expressed conviction that personal encounters and visible community participation remained the most effective approaches to building peaceful coexistence.
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