President Prabowo Inaugurates Silaturahim Tunnel, Access for Istiqlal and Cathedral

Jakarta, MINA – The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, inaugurated the Silaturahim Tunnel connecting the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church.

“The inauguration of the Silaturahim Tunnel is a valuable symbol of our nation’s harmony. This tunnel shows that differences have never been a barrier for the Indonesian people to unite,” said the President in Jakarta on Thursday.

In his report, Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar explained that the construction of this tunnel was a follow-up to the direction of the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo in 2020, in order to facilitate access for worshipers between buildings of worship and to meet the need for parking space without disrupting traffic flow.

“We hope that with the construction of this Silaturahim Tunnel, access for worshipers between buildings of worship will be easier, and this tunnel can be a symbol of tolerance between religious communities,” said the Minister of Religion.

In addition to the tunnel, the Minister of Religion added, this project also includes the construction of a shared parking area with a capacity of up to 1,000 vehicles that can be used together by worshipers at the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church. The scope of work also includes the Istiqlal side shelter, the Cathedral side shelter, and the landscape of the shelter area.

Inside the Silaturrahmi Tunnel, explained the Minister of Religion, there is an art installation from a national artist competition won by Sunaryo, with the theme Wat Hati, which means “Heart Bridge.”

“The philosophy of building this Silaturrahmi tunnel is as a reminder of the importance of tolerance between religious communities, where there are galleries and dioramas that tell the story of the relationship of tolerance between religious communities in Indonesia,” said the Minister of Religion,

The Minister of Religion continued, inside this tunnel, sounds or noises are also heard as symbols of various religions, which are beautified with continuous light on the railing of the Silaturrahmi tunnel, as well as being a symbol of a handshake,” added the Minister of Religion.

“We hope that the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral Church can be a symbol of shared happiness, especially approaching Christmas, with a parking capacity that can accommodate a thousand vehicles,” he said. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)