President Prabowo Inaugurates Istiqlal-Katedral Gathering Tunnel Jakarta

President Prabowo Subianto gave a speech at the inauguration of the Istiqlal Mosque Gathering Tunnel - Cathedral Church in Jakarta, Thursday (12/12/2024). ANTARA/Rangga Pandu Asmara Jingga

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the Gathering Tunnel connecting the Istiqlal Mosque with the Cathedral Church, in Jakarta.

"Today I am very happy to attend this event, the inauguration of the friendship tunnel between the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church. This is a symbol of harmony between religious communities," said President Prabowo in his remarks reported by ANTARA, Thursday, December 12.

Prabowo said that the Indonesian nation has a very unique and very proud feature, namely a nation that is full of differences but can still get along well.

"A nation of different religions, different ethnicities, different ethnic groups, different races, different regional languages, different customs, but can unite, can be harmonious," said Prabowo.

Indonesia can get along well in the midst of differences, said the President, because it has the same goal, namely achieving a future that can give happiness to all Indonesian people.

Prabowo also observed that the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque was not only carried out next to the Cathedral Church, but was also designed by an architect who is a Christian, who also showed harmony.

The Silaturahim Istiqlal-Katedral Tunnel has a length of 28.3 meters, a height of 3 meters, and a width of 4.1 meters.

This tunnel is called the Silaturahim Tunnel because it is designed to facilitate visitors from both places of worship, the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church, so they can connect easily.

The name Silaturahim Tunnel reflects its main goal of strengthening inter-religious relations through more direct and practical access.

The tunnel also aims to create closer interactions between the two historic places of worship, showing that although different in belief, the two can be interconnected in the spirit of unity.

The construction of the Silaturahim Tunnel has actually been completed on September 20, 2021. However, access for the general public has not been opened because there is still additional work that needs to be completed, especially regarding the art decoration on the walls.

The organization is designed to represent the symbol of friendship and tolerance between religious believers, thus providing aesthetic value and a deeper meaning to this tunnel.

Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar previously conveyed that the inauguration of the Istiqlal-Katedral tunnel marked the opening of the tunnel for the general public.

This tunnel allows Muslims and Christians to interact and move between locations easily. This tunnel can be accessed from the Istiqlal yard to the Cathedral grounds, or vice versa.