The eyes of the world will be on East Hampshire this weekend as the UK’s largest Muslim convention will take place on a farm near Alton.
Oaklands Farm will become the site of a global village as between 40,000 and 50,000 people from all corners of the globe will gather for Jalsa Salana UK 2024.
The convention near East Worldham is a huge annual event on the Ahmadiyya calendar and draws Muslims from more than 100 countries.
There is a central message of peace, religious knowledge and international brotherhood with addresses by His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Calpih of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and various esteemed guest speakers.
The event organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community is a huge Glastonbury-like undertaking, covering 210 acres and involving between 7,000 and 10,000 volunteers.
The catering side of the operation is mind-boggling as more than 300,000 free meals will be prepared with the three-day convention beginning this Friday.
Many participants save up for years to attend as the chance for worshippers to meet or get close to the Caliph is often rare.
The convention will be watched by a satellite audience of millions with the British flag raised in front of 35,000 delegates and followers around the world sometime between 3pm and 4pm on Friday.
There will be speeches from various dignitaries, civic leaders and parliamentarians from 3.15pm on Saturday with speakers including the vice-president of Uganda and Chief Rene Chabyan, leader of First Nations Canada.
The convention will also include a powerful ceremony on Sunday where attendees will link hands in a gesture of global unity.
Despite the size and scale of the event organisers are confident there won’t be a repeat of last year’s traffic chaos as the company which oversaw movements was overwhelmed. There’s been months of liaison and organising while an additional gate has been created.
At 58 years Jalsa Salana is also the longest-standing Muslim convention in the UK with previous events taking place at the Islamabad Estate in Tilford and Rushmoor before settling at Oaklands.
Rafiq Hayat, national president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, is keen to emphasise the role volunteers have in the annual event.
He said: “Many have high-profile jobs and we have management consultants, bankers, property moguls and lecturers all helping out, especially as feeding the community takes a lot.
“We have to make different types of food for different nationalities, too, as some like spicy food and others don’t.”
He added: “We have built up a strong relationship with the local community over the years and we believe in integration because if you’re staying in the community, then you should be part of that community.
“Jalsa Salana is a place where you meet friends and family from around the world.
“It’s where you learn about your faith, where you meet people of other faiths. It’s a lot of things for a lot of people.”
For more details visit www.jalsa.org.uk