Security Boost at Jalsa Salana as Anti-Muslim Hate Crime Rises in Britain

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s annual Jalsa Salana, now in its 60th year, is set to host roughly 50,000 attendees from over 100 countries on a 208-acre site in Hampshire. In response to a recent surge in anti-Muslim hostility, organizers have deployed several hundred additional security staff and coordinated closely with police, emergency services and local authorities. The heightened presence follows a “far-right” threat that forced another large Islamic gathering to close early last month after 12 arrests, including three on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

The Guardian

The Ahmadiyya community has been present in Britain since 1913, establishing one of London’s first purpose-built mosques in 1926. Rafiq Hayat, head of the UK chapter, recounts decades of confronting right-wing movements—from skinheads to Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech—and protests by the British National Party during the 1990s construction of a mosque in Morden.

The Guardian

• Recent figures indicate that a mosque is attacked in Britain roughly every five days.

The Guardian

• Anti-Muslim hate crime in England and Wales increased by 19 % in the 12 months to March 2025.

The Guardian

Hayat emphasized that the community’s response to threats is to become more visible, encouraging children not to feel embarrassed about being Muslim in the UK. He highlighted the importance of personal encounters, noting that a visitor who shared her live location with her husband felt “warmth at the mosque” and planned to return with her family. Hayat also stressed that the Ahmadiyya message promotes loyalty to one’s country as an integral part of faith and calls on the broader Muslim community to engage with people of all backgrounds.

The Guardian

• “Not once. Not for a second,” — Rafiq Hayat

The Guardian

• “I personally have been in London since 1967, so I have been through all of the various rightwing movements: from skinheads, to the ‘rivers of blood’ speech by Enoch Powell to the British National party. We have seen it all,” — Rafiq Hayat

The Guardian

• “One of the things that the community has been doing over the last 60 years is to bring people of all faith, all backgrounds, all ethnicities, everyone, together,” — Rafiq Hayat

The Guardian

• “The saddest part is that it is sometimes easier to deal with the rightwing than with some Muslim extremists,” — Rafiq Hayat

The Guardian

• “But when we have these conferences, lots of Muslims come. When we had the big iftar at our large mosque, about 60% were young Muslims who weren’t Ahmadi.” — Rafiq Hayat

The Guardian