Jalsa Salana, the UK’s largest Muslim gathering organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, proceeded this past weekend with significantly enhanced security staffing and coordination with law enforcement and local authorities. The convention, now in its 60th year, attracted roughly 50,000 participants from more than 100 countries to a temporary site in Hampshire. The event featured religious services, speeches from community leaders including the global head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and attendance from Members of Parliament, bishops, and other public officials.
The decision to proceed came amid rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Recent data indicated that mosques in Britain face attacks at a rate of approximately one every five days, while anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales increased by 19% during the 12-month period ending in March 2025. The previous month had seen another major Islamic gathering forced to close early following arrests related to suspected far-right security threats.
Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated that the organization had no hesitation about hosting the event despite the security climate. He noted that the community has maintained a presence in Britain for more than a century, having established itself in 1913 and built one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926. Hayat referenced historical experiences with various far-right movements and noted that the community had successfully built cooperative relationships with local authorities and neighbors through sustained engagement efforts.
Hayat emphasized that the community’s response to heightened tensions involves increased visibility in public life rather than withdrawal. He highlighted the community’s approach of building interfaith and cross-community connections as a means of countering misconceptions. He also acknowledged that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community faces persecution from multiple sources, including extremist groups both internationally and within Britain, noting that in 2016 an Ahmadi Muslim man was killed in a religiously motivated attack.
Hayat stressed the importance of personal encounters between communities in building peaceful coexistence, citing examples of individuals whose perspectives shifted through direct engagement with community members.
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