Aqeela Shanzay Zaffar
Once more, Ahmadis have been waiting patiently for Jalsa Salana UK to arrive and here it is at last! Listening to Huzoor’s (aba) speeches and reading each and every prayer behind our beloved Huzoor (aba) are the highlights of the Jalsa experience.
The unique feature of Jalsa is that men and women have a separate area. Many female guests who visit the ladies area are always curious as to why they sit separately. Well, before I answer this, we should be reminded that Islam had already granted various human rights to Muslim women in 7th century Arabia. Therefore, the moral, spiritual and economic equity of men and women as propagated by Islam is unquestionable.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has made life more comfortable for its members, especially for women to enable them to have recognition through their own women’s organisation known as the Lajna Ima’illah. Ahmadi Muslim women around the world have their own mosque areas, offices and at Jalsa Salana an entire ladies arena to themselves, which they organise themselves.
At the Jalsa, women have the privilege of being addressed by beloved Huzoor (aba) directly in their own gathering, on the second day of the convention after presenting awards to the female students for academic excellence. The female volunteers at Jalsa Salana comprise academics, professionals and housewives working in unison with the men, all united as one. As Ahmadi Muslim women, we have absolutely no problem with the segregation, rather it gives us a great sense of freedom and independence.
