At the UK’s largest Islamic convention, British Muslim women have voiced disappointment and concern following the publication of a YouGov survey indicating that nearly half of Britons believe Muslim women wear the hijab due to community or familial pressure. The annual Jalsa Salana, held in Alton, Hampshire, welcomed more than 40,000 attendees from the global Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The findings of the survey, commissioned by the community, highlight persistent public misconceptions surrounding Muslim women’s autonomy and religious practice.
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Ophthalmologist Munazzah Chou, speaking at the event, described the results as “disappointing but not entirely surprising”, adding that they reflect a troubling assumption about Muslim women’s capacity for independent decision-making. “There are 20,000 women here,” she said, “and each has their own personal, nuanced reason for choosing the hijab – none of them coerced.” Other participants echoed this sentiment, rejecting the notion that modest dress is imposed and asserting that their choices are a matter of personal faith and freedom.
University student Syeda Ahmad, 23, said the findings underscore a broader issue: the tendency of society to speak on behalf of Muslim women rather than listening to them. “We are fully thinking individuals,” she said. “The polling reflects an attitude that’s more concerned with telling us how we feel than asking us.” Her peer, Unaizah Ahmad, 25, voiced concern that such attitudes may fuel calls for bans on Islamic dress, referencing recent comments by Reform UK figures advocating a national debate on outlawing the burka. “My hijab is my choice,” she said firmly, urging those with doubts to speak directly to Muslim women rather than relying on assumptions.
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The political climate has further inflamed tensions, with recent resignations and controversies within Reform UK over remarks about Islamic attire. Calls for bans on face-covering garments are seen by many as discriminatory and alienating. Ms Ahmad warned such measures, already in place in several European countries, marginalise Muslim women and restrict their access to education and employment. “One of Britain’s strengths,” she concluded, “is that it respects personal religious expression. Islam gives women the right to choose, and that freedom should be protected, not undermined.” A spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community stressed that the survey results point to a continued misunderstanding of Islamic values regarding modesty and women’s rights.
