More than 50,000 Muslims to gather at Britain's largest Islamic festival in just days

More than 50,000 Muslims are set to gather at Britain's largest Islamic festival in a matter of days.

Muslims from around the world are set to attend the Jalsa Salana UK convention near Alton, Hampshire this weekend.

The Jalsa Salana is expecting members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community from over 100 countries to attend, with a staff of nearly 5,000 volunteers.

Organisers said they have "extensive measure in place" to keep attendees safe at the convention - which has been held for around six decades.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the caliph of the Ahmadiyya community, is set to be the keynote speaker at the event.

Ahmadiyyas believe an Indian religious leader was the messiah, promised to appear before Muslims and bring about the final triumph of Islam.

Ahead of the convention, Mr Ahmad said: "At a time when misunderstanding of Islam and hostility towards Muslims are rapidly increasing in many parts of the world, the Jalsa Salana provides an outstanding opportunity to present the true teachings of Islam, which are of peace, security and goodwill for all.

"It is this message of peace that I shall deliver to the participants, and it is the message that will resonate throughout the Convention.

"Indeed, the Jalsa Salana is a magnificent example of unity, in which people from every corner of the world, including many non-Muslims, come together in peace and harmony, not only to worship God, but also to inspire one another to show compassion, love and respect for all people."

New polling commissioned by the Ahmadiyya community suggests 77 per cent of Britons believe the country is more divided than five years ago.

It also suggests that more than three quarters of British people believe the country is more divided now than five years ago.

Jacob Williams, head of domestic policy at think tank Pickthall House, told GB News the country was not divided because of the Muslim community, but because of immigration.

READ MORE ON ISLAM:

• Britain's Muslim police body defends Hamas and labels IDF 'terrorist group'
• Nus Ghani opens up on 'abhorrent' anti-Muslim discrimination she faced in politics - 'I never expected my faith to be an issue'
• Christianity is a 'dead religion' and churches are 'empty', Muslim author tells GB News

He told GB News: "Of course, the country is divided. One of the reasons the country is divided is that we have had an unsustainable and unwanted pace of immigration over the last seven or eight years.

"The country fundamentally is not divided just because there are some Muslims in the country, or because Muslims have religious freedom - the same religious freedom that everybody else in this country benefits from."

The religious group's polling also said 56 per cent of Britons believe the positive contributions of British Muslims were "not widely known or recognised" by wider British society.

The results were collated by YouGov from over 2,000 Britons in July 2026.

Khalil Yousuf, a spokesman for the community, said the findings were "eye-opening", adding that "dialogue is the antidote to the division".

He added: "Once you meet a Muslim, I’m sure you’ll find we have a lot more in common than you may have previously believed."

The Ahmadiyya movement of Islam was established in 1899 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and has been characterised as heretical by other Muslim groups.

Mr Williams said the Muslim sect "would be and is the victim of persecution in many so-called Islamic states".

Mr Ahmad, the caliph, said it was a cause of “great grief for all sincere Muslims” that people seek to blame Islam for “conflict and disorder” in the world.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter