Jalsa Salana, the UK’s largest Muslim gathering organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, took place this weekend in Hampshire with significantly increased security measures in response to rising anti-Muslim sentiment. The event, now in its 60th year, attracted approximately 50,000 participants from more than 100 countries to a 208-acre temporary site and included remarks from the community’s global leader alongside attendance from MPs, bishops, and other public figures.
Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated the organization proceeded without hesitation despite the heightened climate of hostility. He noted the community has operated in Britain for over a century, establishing its first purpose-built mosque in 1926 and navigating various forms of opposition throughout its history. Recent statistics indicate one mosque is attacked in Britain approximately every five days, while anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales increased by 19% in the 12 months to March 2025.
Hayat emphasized the community’s approach to addressing antagonism through engagement rather than withdrawal from public life. He described efforts to build relationships with neighbors, citing the establishment of a liaison group during construction of the Morden mosque in the 1990s that brought together church representatives, local groups, authorities, and police. Hayat stated this collaborative approach, initially met with resistance, eventually became integral to local decision-making processes over subsequent decades.
Hayat noted the Ahmadiyya community faces hostility from multiple sources, including far-right movements and some Muslim extremists. He referenced a 2016 religiously motivated murder and acknowledged the particular difficulty of addressing antagonism from within the broader Muslim community. Despite these challenges, he maintained that increased public visibility and personal engagement remain the most effective responses, encouraging Muslims to actively interact with others to counter misconceptions about Islam and foster peaceful coexistence.
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