Why do tens of thousands of Muslims from the Ahmadiyya caliphate come together in the English Countryside?

Ahmadiyya Muslims are outcasts within their own faith and often persecuted and ostracised across the world. They preach against violent Muslims and criticise extremism.

United by the concept of a spiritual Ahmadi Caliphate, tens of thousands Ahmadis attend one of the most important events in the year of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, the Jalsa Salana – a three day festival designed to reinvigorate the faith. The community claims over half a million converts join their particular branch of Islam every year, the majority from across Africa.

So why are people turning towards this sect of Islam – one which is deemed outside the fold of the religion by many Muslims? Athar speaks to some of the converts who have left their old lives behind and joined the Ahmadiyya community. He explores why Ahmadis are considered as apostates by many Muslims and meets the community’s caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

Presenter and Producer: Athar Ahmad