Lahden muslim community outgrows mosque, holds Eid celebration in rented venue

Over 1,000 people are expected to gather in rented facilities in Lahti, Finland, to mark the end of Ramadan, as the city’s mosque has become too small for the growing Muslim community, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The Eid al-Fitr celebration on Friday will take place at the Hennala military barracks, with prayers potentially split into two sessions if space remains limited. The Lahti Islamic Congregation, which currently has around 800 official members, has seen its community double in size over the past decade, driven by an influx of Syrian refugees and increased migration from Asian countries.

“We estimate that roughly one-fifth of our congregation now comes from Asian countries—new faces who have arrived just in the last two years,” said Hayrullah Evirken, the congregation’s long-serving chair. While official membership stands at 800, Evirken believes the actual Muslim population in Lahti and surrounding areas ranges between 2,000 and 3,000, with many choosing not to register due to administrative hesitations.

The city’s leadership, including Mayor Niko Kyynäräinen, has pledged to explore larger premises for the mosque after visiting the current facility in late January. The existing mosque in Anttilanmäki, operational since 2012, can no longer accommodate the community’s needs.

Local schools reflect the city’s diversifying demographics, with approximately 440 children studying Islam and 300 studying Orthodox Christianity in Lahti’s primary education system—a shift partly attributed to Ukrainian refugees. However, Pasi Salmi, an education specialist, notes that many immigrant children opt for secular ethics classes instead.

Businesses have also adapted to the changing population. Emin Gürmüç, managing director of Alanya Market, reports that nearly half of the grocery chain’s customers are now ethnic Finns, signaling growing openness. “Finland has become much more accepting,” Gürmüç said. The mosque, too, has seen increased visits from local organizations and Finnish residents, with a group of ten ethnic Finns touring the facility in mid-February.