Jalsa Salana, Britain’s largest Muslim gathering organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, proceeded this weekend with significantly increased security staffing and coordination with police and emergency services. The event, now in its 60th year, was expected to attract approximately 50,000 attendees from more than 100 countries to a temporary site in Hampshire. The convention featured prayers, speeches by community leaders including the global head Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, and appearances from elected officials and religious figures.
The decision to proceed came against a backdrop of heightened anti-Muslim sentiment in the UK. Recent security incidents included the forced early closure of another major Islamic gathering the previous month following arrests related to a suspected far-right threat. According to recent statistics, one mosque in Britain experiences an attack every five days, and anti-Muslim hate crimes in England and Wales increased by 19 percent during the 12 months ending in March 2025.
Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated that the organization did not hesitate to proceed with the event. He noted that the Ahmadiyya community has operated in Britain for over a century, establishing itself in 1913 and building one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926. The community has historically faced opposition, including from far-right groups during mosque construction in the 1990s.
Hayat emphasized the community’s approach of building relationships with neighbors and local authorities rather than withdrawing from public life. He described establishing monthly liaison meetings with church representatives, local officials, and police, initially marked by heated discussions but evolving into collaborative relationships. The Ahmadiyya community teaches that loyalty to one’s country forms an integral part of faith, according to Hayat’s account.
Hayat acknowledged that the Ahmadiyya community faces persecution from multiple sources, noting that extremist Muslims have sometimes posed greater challenges than far-right opposition. He cited the 2016 murder of Ahmadi Muslim Asad Shah in Glasgow as an example. Despite these threats, Hayat advocated for increased visibility and engagement with the broader public as the most effective response to misconceptions about Islam and Muslim communities.
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