Jalsa Salana, the United Kingdom’s largest Muslim gathering organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, took place this weekend with substantially increased security staffing and coordinated support from police and local authorities. The event, held at a temporary site in Hampshire, drew approximately 50,000 attendees from over 100 nations. The enhanced security measures were implemented against a backdrop of documented increases in anti-Muslim sentiment, following an incident the previous month when another major Islamic gathering was forced to close prematurely due to arrests related to suspected far-right threats.
Rafiq Hayat, leader of the UK Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated the organization proceeded without hesitation despite security concerns. He noted that Jalsa Salana marked its 60th year of operation and that the Ahmadiyya community has maintained a presence in Britain for more than a century, establishing itself in 1913 and constructing one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926. Opening ceremonies included prayers, speeches featuring the community’s global leader Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, and attendance from Members of Parliament, bishops, and other public figures.
Hayat characterized the community’s historical experience with opposition, referencing encounters with various far-right movements spanning decades. He described how the Ahmadiyya community responded to hostility during the construction of a mosque in Morden in the 1990s by establishing ongoing dialogue with neighbors, local authorities, and police through monthly liaison meetings. According to Hayat, this approach transformed initial resistance into collaborative partnership over three decades.
Current statistics indicate one mosque is attacked in Britain approximately every five days, with anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rising 19% during the 12 months preceding March 2025. Hayat emphasized the community’s commitment to increasing public engagement and visibility rather than withdrawing from civic life. He noted that the Ahmadiyya community also faces persecution from certain Muslim extremist groups, referencing the 2016 religiously motivated murder of Ahmadi Muslim Asad Shah in Glasgow.
Hayat advocated for personal engagement between communities as an effective response to misconceptions about Islam, describing an example of a visitor who initially expressed fear but subsequently experienced warmth and wished to return with family members. He stressed that recognizing shared humanity across religious and cultural differences remained central to achieving peaceful coexistence.
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