Islamic cemetery at Lapinlahti Helsinki
On October 20th, CORE Forum organized a cleanup event at the Islamic cemetery in Lapinlahti, Helsinki. Participants were guided by members of the Burial and Cemetery Affairs Committee of the Finnish Islamic Congregation. This was the fourth such cemetery cleanup, held alternately at Islamic and Jewish cemeteries.
Finnish Islamic Congregation members
This year, nearly thirty people took part, representing communities such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Finnish Islamic Congregation, the Ahmadiyya community, Dialogue4Peace, the Bahá’í community, and the Jewish community.
Among the participants was Kasperi Poutiainen, a theology student and university intern at CORE Forum. At the start of the event, he spoke with a member of the Finnish Islamic Congregation, who shared insights into their burial practices—such as the requirement that headstones be approved by the Burial and Cemetery Affairs Committee. He also learned that burials may not always happen as quickly as hoped, although they still typically occur within three days. Kasperi was also informed that the cemetery had been expanded three times since its founding.
Several members of the Ahmadiyya community emphasized that helping others is central to both their community and Islamic faith. They also noted that some of those buried may no longer have relatives to care for their graves, making the cleanup efforts especially meaningful.
We have a slogan – Love for All, Hatred for None – which I think represents why we do this kind of work
-Young man from the Ahmadiyya community.
Ahmadiyya community members working
Four young people also joined the event, some of whom had participated in similar initiatives before, while for others this was their first time. Their main motivation was to support the community and meet new people.
Although the overall focus of the event remained on practical work rather than deep discussion, various conversations were still had. For instance, one young member of the Ahmadiyya community did ask Kasperi about his path to theology and how he came to join the event.
All interviewees expressed interest in interfaith dialogue, though it was broadly agreed that the act of participating in the cleanup itself constituted interfaith dialogue—without the need for further elaboration. The event concluded with a group photo and delicious pita bread.
Thank you to all participants!
