February 22 In History: Soeharto Inaugurated Istiqlal Mosque That Sukarno Deliberately Built Near The Cathedral

Istiqlal and the Cathedral (Source: Commons WIkimedia)

JAKARTA - On February 22, 1978, the Istiqlal Mosque was inaugurated by President Soeharto. The inauguration was marked by the installation of an inscription in the door area of As-Salam. In accordance with the inauguration, February 22nd is routinely celebrated as The Istiqlal Day.

Quoting the Ministry of Education and Culture Cultural Map, the first building process of the Istiqlal Mosque pillar was carried out by President Soekarno on August 24, 1961. At that time the activity was carried out to coincide with the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad and witnessed by thousands of Muslims.

However, the implementation of development did not run smoothly due to the unfavorable political situation. The construction of the Istiqlal Mosque took 17 years.

Istiqlal Mosque was built on the ruins of a Dutch fort. However, before the location was chosen, there was a debate between Moh Hatta and Soekarno regarding the construction site.

Hatta has the opinion that the most appropriate construction location for the Istiqlal Mosque is on Jalan Moh. Husni Thamrin or now the location is an area of Hotel Indonesia. The consideration was that at that time the location was a Muslim community and there were no buildings.

However, Soekarno argued that the location for the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque must be in Wilhelmina Park. In the area, there are ruins of a Dutch fort and it is surrounded by government buildings, a trade center, and the Merdeka Palace.

Istiqlal Mosque (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

In addition, Soekarno wanted Istiqlal to co-exist with the Cathedral Church as a symbol of brotherhood, unity, and religious tolerance. The element of the diversity of the Istiqlal Mosque has increased through the election of the mosque architect.

Soekarno, who at that time served as Chairman of the Jury in a mosque design competition, chose Friedrich Silaban, a Protestant Christian, as the architect of the mosque. Friedrich has a work entitled 'Divinity.' Soekarno then dubbed Friedrich Silaban as 'By the grace of God' because he won the competition.

"Istiqlal architecture is original, does not imitate it from anywhere, but also does not know where it came from", said F. Silaban, quoting the February 21, 1978 edition of the Kompas newspaper, six years after the Istiqlal Mosque was completed.

Istiqlal Mosque (Source: Unsplash)

Istiqlal Mosque consists of one large dome which has a diameter of 45 meters which is supported by 12 large pillars. There is a single tower as high as 96.66 meters soaring in the south corner of the mosque hallway. In addition, the Istiqlal Mosque also has a capacity of more than two hundred thousand worshipers. No wonder the Istiqlal Mosque is the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia.

Not only for worship, but Istiqlal Mosque is also a means for social purposes, information, preaching education, and other community activities. This mosque is managed by the Jakarta Istiqlal Mosque Management Agency.

State guest attraction

Obama's visit to Istiqlal (Source: Commons Wikimedia)

The uniqueness of the building and the history of the Istiqlal Mosque also make this mosque iconic. Not surprisingly, the Istiqlal Mosque was also visited by state guests.

In 2010, the President of the United States (US) at that time, Barack Obama, visited the Istiqlal Mosque with his wife Michelle Obama. Accompanied by the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque Ali Mustafa Yaqub, they toured the Istiqlal Mosque.

Obama received a direct explanation of the history of Istiqlal and the meaning of the name Istiqlal which means Independence. "When I explained about the verses of the Qur'an that were plastered on the mosque, Obama looked very attentive and had time to laugh when he was near the drum because he remembered his childhood", said Ali Mustafa, quoted from the BBC.

In 2008, the crown prince of the British Empire, Prince Charles also visited the Istiqlal Mosque. At that time, Prince Charles went to Indonesia to raise the issue of global climate change and religious tolerance. Minister of Religion Maftuh Basyuni and Chairman of Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin at that time accompanied the visit.