From Nizamuddin to Barham: The 100,000-person Islamic congregation Suffolk's authorities know nothing about

The three-day UK Ijtema 2026, organisers say, will be held at the Suffolk stately home on Friday, 10 to Sunday, 12 July. According to the estate's directors, the venue was chosen ahead of ExCeL London and the NEC in Birmingham — two of the UK's largest event venues, in two of the country's largest cities.

Alongside the estate's statement, an Ipswich councillor who has publicly endorsed the event says planning is at an "advanced" stage, with "full regulatory compliance."

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, Suffolk Constabulary, and Barham Parish Council tell Ipswich.co.uk a different story. No contact has been made with the district's Safety Advisory Group. A spokesperson for Suffolk Highways confirmed that they have not been contacted. The parish council says neither the district nor the county council was aware of the event until this week. The site's current planning permission is for a spa and health centre that has not been operational for some time.

These positions cannot easily be reconciled. And the estate, and the company that owns it, have a documented record of flouting planning rules and attracting regulatory refusal.

What is being advertised

An Ijtema is a large religious gathering held by the Tablighi Jamaat, a Sunni Islamic missionary movement founded in India in 1926 and now one of the largest such movements in the world. Its gatherings elsewhere are among the biggest regular religious events on the planet: the Bishwa Ijtema in Bangladesh has drawn millions, and the Raiwind Ijtema in Pakistan hundreds of thousands.

Attendees typically listen to religious talks after each of the five daily prayers, pray together, and are encouraged to travel in small groups afterwards to share their faith. The movement is politically non-aligned and focused on personal piety.

The organiser of the event, titled "London to Nizamuddin", is a UK registered charity known as Anjuman-e-Islahul Muslimeen.

Promotional material circulating online describes the Shrubland site as "perfectly suited for the gathering, offering vast space for 100k+ attendees and unlimited parking." It describes the venue as "located just 90 minutes from London and close to all major airports" and promises "a cost-effective, distraction-free environment dedicated to the service of the Deen." The same material confirms that "Hazratji will be present," the honorific given to the movement's senior leader.

A gathering at that scale would be unprecedented in Suffolk. For context, Latitude Festival — held at Henham Park — drew around 45,000 attendees in 2025. The combined population of Barham and Coddenham is around 3,700.

Ipswich.co.uk has approached the organisers. No response had been received at the time of publication.

What the estate says

In a statement to Ipswich.co.uk, the directors of Shrubland Estate said events have taken place at the site "since 1800c" and that they "undertake due diligence and careful planning in hosting each event." They named the organisers as "a UK registered charity known as Anjuman-e-Islahul Muslimeen" and said three venues had been shortlisted: ExCeL London, the NEC in Birmingham, and Shrubland Park.

The statement described the event as "a peaceful community event for spiritual development," adding that it was "not a political event, nor does it represent any form of protest or demonstration." It continued: "Recent online content has presented a misleading and sensationalised portrayal of this event. Claims suggesting a 'takeover' or similar narratives are entirely false."

Most importantly, the statement concluded: "The event has been planned with careful attention to all relevant local authority requirements, including health and safety, security, traffic management, and regulatory compliance."

It was issued on behalf of the directors by David Lemon, using an email address ending biot.org.uk — a domain associated with the British Institute of Technology, the company that owns Shrubland Hall. Enquiries were directed to Peter Reny, described as Estate and Facility Manager.

Assurances from an Ipswich councillor

Alongside the estate's statement came a comment from Cllr Ruman Muhith, a Labour member of Ipswich Borough Council. Cllr Muhith represents Priory Heath, a ward in south-east Ipswich.

Shrubland Hall is in Barham, in the district of Mid Suffolk. Ipswich Borough Council — the authority on which Cllr Muhith sits — has no planning, licensing, highways, or safety advisory jurisdiction over the site.

Cllr Muhith said he was "aware of the proposed Ijtima, which remains in an advanced planning phase." He said he had been "working constructively with the owners of Shrubland Estate to ensure that all aspects of the event are aligned with the highest standards expected by our local authorities. This includes thorough consideration of health and safety, security, traffic management, and full regulatory compliance."

This appears to be untrue.

"It is important to emphasise," he added, "that this is a well organised, lawful, and community focused gathering."

The authorities tell a different story

A spokesperson for Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, which together oversee planning and licensing for the site, told Ipswich.co.uk that anyone organising a public event in the district "is expected to engage with the Safety Advisory Group." That group brings together Suffolk Constabulary, the county council's highways team, district council teams, the East of England Ambulance Service, Suffolk Fire and Rescue, and others.

"In this case," the spokesperson said, "no contact has been made with the Safety Advisory Group by the event organisers."

The council is "now trying to establish further details to understand exactly what is planned, so we can respond accordingly in partnership with other agencies."

On the wider planning position, the spokesperson said: "The site has historic permission as a spa/health centre, together with permission for ancillary uses such as office, hotel, residential institution, restaurants etc. However these uses would be ancillary to the main use, and the spa/health centre has not been operational for some time now."

They added: "We have already taken successful enforcement action against breaches that have threatened the heritage of the house and its gardens, and continue to take legal advice over further possible action."

A spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary told Ipswich.co.uk the force had "nothing further to add" beyond the Mid Suffolk statement, and that "at this stage enquiries would sit with them."

Suffolk County Council was also approached. The county council had not issued a full response at the time of publication.

A parish council caught in the middle

On Wednesday, 22 April, Casey Wooltorton, Chairman of Barham Parish Council, publicly confirmed that the parish had spent that day in urgent discussions with both Mid Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council.

He said that neither authority had been aware that the event was being organised and planned. "All parties are now treating this matter seriously," he said, as "licensing and large scale policing would be needed, neither of which has been applied for."

Ipswich.co.uk approached Mr Wooltorton directly for comment in his capacity as Chairman. He had not responded by the time of publication.

Residents have said they first heard about the event from young men in the local Co-op, who told them they were there to put up marquees ahead of the July gathering. Others have raised concerns about traffic, scale, and the lack of official communication from any authority. One resident observed that the road past Shrubland Hall had "already given up and fallen into the field."

A source close to the estate, who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity, told Ipswich.co.uk that Dr Muhammad Farmer, the estate's owner, had gathered the delegate of around 300 people and barred from the estate the men who had spoken to residents in the Co-op about the event.

A pattern of problems with permissions

The apparent absence of engagement with the authorities is not an isolated feature of this particular event. The record at Shrubland Hall under its current ownership shows a repeated pattern of activity at the site outpacing — or bypassing — the permissions meant to govern it.

In September 2024, British Institute of Technology Ltd, the company that owns Shrubland Hall, was fined £3,600 at Suffolk Magistrates' Court after admitting eight charges relating to its failure to comply with enforcement notices. A timber-framed storage building and a portable cabin had been erected at the estate without planning permission. The court ordered the structures to be removed. Speaking after the case, Cllr Andrew Stringer, Mid Suffolk District Council's cabinet member for heritage, planning and infrastructure, said: "These were flagrant breaches of planning laws. The fact they happened in the grounds of Shrubland Hall — one of the finest properties in Suffolk — only adds insult to injury."

A separate licensing question emerges in the estate's promotion of itself as a wedding venue. On the estate's public social media channels — where it trades under the name "Shrubland Palace" — it invites enquiries from couples with wedding bookings listed for 2027. It describes "exclusive hire of the Palace, its 200-acre gardens, and our iconic Glass Pavilion — one of the largest of its kind in East Anglia, accommodating up to 1,000 guests." The estate says it is "known for hosting extraordinary South Asian, multicultural, and fusion weddings."

Asked by Ipswich.co.uk whether Shrubland Hall is approved to conduct civil marriages or civil partnerships, Suffolk County Council confirmed it is not. "This is not due to any refusal by the council," they said. "No formal application for approval has been submitted to the registrars." The council added that the venue could still host blessings and celebrant-led ceremonies, "provided these are not presented as legally recognised marriages." Any such event, she said, would still be subject to the permissions required for large-scale gatherings — those overseen by the district council.

It is another example of activity at the estate taking place in parallel with, rather than through, the local regulatory process.

The owner, the company, and the Trump doctorate

Shrubland Hall was built in the 1770s and served for most of its life as a private residence for nobility. It was sold in 2006 by Baron de Saumarez to cover an inheritance bill. In 2009, it was purchased for £6m by Dr Muhammad Farmer, a London-based businessman and founder of the British Institute of Technology, which owns the estate.

The hall is Grade II* listed. Its gardens are Grade I listed. Since November 2021 the estate has been on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.

The British Institute of Technology has had a difficult regulatory history of its own. In August 2021, the Office for Students refused its application for registration as a higher education provider, citing failures to meet conditions on student protection, financial viability, and management and governance. The regulator noted at the time that the provider "has no current higher education students."

Despite that, it continues to trade and advertise for students, claiming it is a member of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and UCAS. It isn't. In fact, it's not entirely clear what exactly the British Institute of Technology actually does.

The institute's most recent accounts, for the year ending 31 December 2024, report turnover of £1,240,769 — described in the accounting policies as "the value of rental income received or receivable." The company lists two directors, Dr Farmer and Professor Dominic Palmer-Brown, and ten administrative staff. Dr Farmer is listed as the controlling party by virtue of majority shareholding.

In February 2025, despite having no degree-awarding powers, the institute announced it had awarded an honorary doctorate of philosophy in peace studies to the then-new US president, Donald Trump. Writing in The European to explain the decision, Dr Farmer said the institute hoped "to host a celebratory presentation event at the historic Shrubland Hall in Suffolk." No such event has taken place.

The bottom line

In a little over ten weeks, Shrubland Hall will host what could be one of the largest religious gatherings ever held in Britain. The authorities responsible for licensing it, policing it, and planning for its impact on the surrounding villages say they have not been engaged by the organisers. The estate's directors, and a councillor from an authority with no jurisdiction over the site, say everything is in hand.

Both statements cannot be true. The record at Shrubland Hall — a company fined for flagrant planning breaches, a venue marketed for weddings it cannot legally conduct — suggests this is a site where claim and reality have had an awkward relationship for some time.

Residents of Barham and Coddenham deserve to know what is coming to their doorstep this July. So does the heritage of the estate at the centre of it all.

Ipswich.co.uk will continue to follow this story. Anyone with information to share, in confidence or on the record, is invited to get in touch.

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