Jalsa Salana, the UK’s largest Muslim gathering, is taking place this weekend in Hampshire with significantly increased security measures in response to a climate of growing anti-Muslim sentiment. The event, organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and now in its 60th year, anticipates drawing approximately 50,000 participants from over 100 countries across a 208-acre temporary site. Enhanced coordination has been established between organizers, police, emergency services, and local authorities, with several hundred additional staff deployed for security purposes.
The decision to proceed comes shortly after another Islamic gathering was forced to close early following arrests related to a suspected far-right threat. Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated the organization proceeded without hesitation despite the security concerns. The convention’s opening included prayers, speeches from community leaders including the global head of the movement, and attendance from MPs, bishops, and other public figures.
Recent data indicates escalating anti-Muslim sentiment in Britain, with statistics showing one mosque attacked every five days and anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rising 19% in the 12 months to March 2025. Hayat drew parallels to previous periods of hostility the community has encountered, citing his personal experience since 1967 witnessing various extremist movements. He referenced the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s establishment in Britain over a century ago, including construction of one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926.
Hayat emphasized the community’s strategy of building relationships with neighbors and engaging in dialogue rather than withdrawing from public life. He described establishing a liaison group during the construction of a mosque in Morden in the 1990s, which involved monthly meetings with church representatives, local groups, authorities, and police. According to Hayat, this approach transformed initial hostility into collaborative partnership over three decades.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community faces hostility from multiple sources. While far-right extremism poses one threat, Hayat noted that persecution from some extremist Muslims, both internationally and domestically, presents additional challenges. He referenced the 2016 religiously motivated murder of Ahmadi Muslim Asad Shah in Glasgow by another Muslim. Despite these threats, Hayat advocated for increased visibility and engagement with broader society, encouraging young Muslims to embrace their faith openly and urging the wider Muslim community to build personal connections across religious and ethnic boundaries.
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