When Pope Francis begins his Asia tour next week, one of his first visits will be to Indonesia’s iconic Istiqlal Mosque.
The 87-year-old leader of the Catholic Church will meet with representatives from the country’s six officially recognized religions as Indonesia, the populous Southeast Asian nation, faces growing challenges to its reputation for tolerance.
Despite ongoing health issues and increasing reliance on a wheelchair, Francis has a demanding schedule for his four-nation tour. His journey will begin in Jakarta on September 3, where he will meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
At Istiqlal Mosque, the Argentine Jesuit, known for advocating interfaith harmony, will meet delegates representing Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The latter two are recognized as separate faiths under Indonesia’s constitution.
Although 87 percent of Indonesia’s 280 million people are Muslim, the country also has the third-largest Christian population in Asia, following the Philippines and China. Catholics make up just 2.9 percent of the total population.
The Istiqlal Mosque, whose name means “independence” in Arabic, is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, spanning over 22 acres (9 hectares). Its name serves as a reminder of Indonesia’s struggle against Dutch colonial rule, which lasted nearly 350 years.
Directly across from the mosque stands the Roman Catholic neo-Gothic Our Lady of The Assumption Cathedral in Jakarta. The proximity of these two religious landmarks symbolizes the peaceful coexistence of different faiths, as highlighted by official sources.
The mosque and cathedral are connected by an underpass known as the “Tunnel of Friendship,” which is about 28 meters (91 feet) long and designed in the shape of a handshake to symbolize religious tolerance. The pope is expected to walk through this tunnel.
Istiqlal Mosque’s Grand Imam, Nasaruddin Umar, said that Pope Francis’s decision to make Indonesia the first stop on his Asian tour is a source of pride for the Muslim community. He also mentioned that they will use the pope’s visit as an opportunity to discuss shared values among religious communities and emphasize the commonalities between different religions, ethnicities, and beliefs.
Umar acknowledged that in an “increasingly plural society” like Indonesia, challenges are inevitable, but he emphasized the importance of understanding that “we live together under God.”
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
