After three years being closed and locked, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto officially formalized the so-called “Terowongan Silahturahmi” or the Friendship Tunnel on December 13.
The pedestrian tunnel connects Jakarta’s Grand Mosque Istiqlal and Jakarta Archdiocese’s Catholic Cathedral, The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, symbolizing the interreligious harmony between the country’s predominantly Muslim population and its 8.3 million Catholic minority group (or 3.12% of the total population)
The then President Joko Widodo’s initiative to construct this underground Friendship Tunnel has been widely and extensively appreciated by both religious communities.
The name “Terowongan Silahturahmi” was officially released in 2020 as the tunnel connect al Fattah’s gate – one of the 7 gates of the mosque.
The move to establish this underground tunnel was initiated when the then President Jokowi visited the mosque during its major renovation.
“This underground Friendship Tunnel not only physically connect the two religious praying centers, but also symbolize the true good and friendly relationship among different religious groups in Indonesia,” said Jokowi in 2020.
The project was then implemented in 2021.
Reviving the spirit of true Indonesian values
Jokowi’s initiative was positively received by Cathedral Church’s chief pastor, citing that such a move could be a positive atmosphere to bolster good relationship between the Muslims and the Christians as initially addressed by the country’s 1st President Soekarno who intentionally built the Istiqlal Grand Mosque just in front the Catholic Cathedral Church.
Istiqlal Grand Mosque was formalized by the late President Suharto on February 2, 1978. Notably, the mosque features magnificent architectural masterpiece by Friedrich Silaban, a Christian figure.
Another Christian figure contributing to the construction of the mosque is the late Pandji Wisaksana, a Catholic of Chinese descent, who once told LiCAS News that he personally donated thousands of PVC pipes to the mosque’s building project.
Pope’s visit to the tunnel
During his papal visit to Indonesia earlier this year, Pope Francis and the then Grand Sheik of Istiqlal Mosque Prof. Nasaruddin Umar signed an Istiqlal Document promoting peace and social amicable relationship between the Muslim and the Christian world.
Ending his historical visit to Istiqlal’s compound and flanked by its grand cleric Prof. Umar, the Pope made a short tour just in front of the Friendship Tunnel.
According to Indonesian Minster for Religious Affairs Prof. Nasaruddin Umar, total expenses to establish this underground channel is 38.9 billon IDR.
The tunnel connects from the mosque’s compound to the cathedral front parking lots covering a distance of 34 metres at 6 metres depth beneath the road surface. Its walls are marked with art materials provided by Sunaryo, an art maestro with his inspiring theme about “Heart Bridge”.
The mosque’s parking lots may houses at least 1,000 cars that Catholics may also use during Christmas and Easter seasons.
