“To be a British Muslim means to very uniquely love one’s country and uniquely love one’s religion and see the two as interdependent,” says Adam Walker, an Ahmadi Muslim.
Walker made the comments to the Huffington Post UK while attending the Jalsa Salana.
The festival was held in rural Hampshire and brought 30,000 Muslims together in an attempt to tackle extremism.
Now in its 50th year, the Alton-based celebration is open to everyone, in the hope of dispelling beliefs that Islam is a violent religion.
We asked some of the people attending what it means to be a British Muslim in the wake of Brexit.
“Being a British Muslim means being united, our Ahmadiyya Muslim community offers many events for us to promote brotherhood, especially in the wake of Brexit,” says student Ahmad Mansoor.
The event hoists the Union Jack as a mark of loyalty to Great Britain. Lasting for three days, the Caliph - the leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community - delivers speeches to promote the peaceful teachings of the religion.
Ahmadi Muslims are heavily persecuted by other Muslims as they believe their religion’s founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, is the Messiah as prophesied by the Islamic prophet Muhammad.