Jalsa Salana, the United Kingdom’s largest Muslim convention organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, proceeded as scheduled despite heightened security concerns. The event, now in its 60th year, drew approximately 50,000 attendees from over 100 countries to a temporary site in Hampshire. Security personnel were increased by several hundred staff members, with enhanced coordination involving police, emergency services, and local authorities.
The decision to proceed came against a backdrop of rising anti-Muslim sentiment across the country. Earlier in the month, another major Islamic gathering was forced to close early after authorities arrested 12 individuals, including three on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in connection with a suspected far-right threat. Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, stated the organization had not reconsidered holding the event, despite these circumstances.
Hayat emphasized the community’s long history in Britain, having established itself over a century ago and constructed one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926. He referenced the organization’s experience weathering various far-right movements throughout the decades, including opposition during the construction of a mosque in Morden during the 1990s. Rather than withdrawing from public engagement, Hayat described how the community built relationships with neighbors and local authorities through regular dialogue.
Current statistics underscored the security concerns: one mosque is attacked in Britain every five days, and anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales rose 19% in the 12 months to March 2025. Hayat noted that hostility toward the Ahmadiyya community originates from multiple sources, including both far-right groups and extremist Muslims. He referenced the 2016 killing of Ahmadi Muslim Asad Shah by another Muslim in a religiously motivated attack.
Hayat advocated for increased visibility and engagement rather than retreat from public life, encouraging community members to work toward peaceful coexistence through personal encounters and dialogue. He recounted examples of individuals whose preconceptions about Islam were challenged through direct interaction with mosque communities, arguing that such personal connections remained the most effective means of addressing misconceptions.
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