A home for all believers

The following is the English text of Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar’s welcome address to Pope Francis.

Your Holiness, Pope Francis, it is my great joy to welcome you to the Istiqlal Mosque!

The Istiqlal Mosque was founded in 1961 by President Soekarno and inaugurated in 1978 by President Soeharto. The structure and building of the Istiqlal Mosque were designed by the architect Mr Friedrich Silaban, a non-Muslim Indonesian — a Christian, in fact. The area of this mosque is 3 hectares built on 13 hectares of land, which can accommodate 250,000 worshipers.

During my service as the Grand Imam here at the Istiqlal Mosque, I have strongly emphasized that it is not only a house of worship for Muslims, but also a great home for humanity. I hold that humanity is one and so anyone can enter and benefit from the Istiqlal Mosque. Furthermore, anyone is welcome to seek the good of humanity through this Mosque. Indeed, from its very beginnings, the Istiqlal Mosque has sought to do good and to place itself at the service of all. Apart from the Islamic religious rituals and events, the Istiqlal Mosque also hosts regular interfaith, intercultural and diplomatic activities. The Istiqlal Mosque is equipped with various facilities for sports, arts, preschool, kindergarten, primary and secondary education, and Ulama Cadre, including the female cadre programmes for Masters and Doctoral level in cooperation with the ptiq University and leading universities in Egypt, Morocco and the United States of America. It is our specific goal and expectation that alumni of Ulama Cadre become moderate and internationally recognized leaders.

Moreover, the Istiqlal Mosque is also equipped with a gym, as well as retreat and business centres, which are accessible to all people, including the non-Muslim community. The basement and large parking lot can be shared by the congregations both of the Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral. The Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque is also entrusted to serve as President of the International Grand Imam Association and as President of the National Imam Association. The Istiqlal Mosque is the only state mosque which is expected to provide guidance to more than one million mosques and prayer rooms scattered throughout the islands of the Republic of Indonesia.

This mosque also seeks to promote religious tolerance and moderation in Indonesia. The construction of the Silaturrahim Tunnel (The Tunnel of Friendship) is proof of the role of the Istiqlal Mosque as a melting pot, especially for the citizens of the pluralistic nation of Indonesia, who adhere to the maxim “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” (“Unity in diversity”).

The presence of Your Holiness, Pope Francis, at the largest mosque in Asia, and the third largest in the world after Mecca and Medina, is certainly a great honour for all the citizens of Indonesia. We are filled with joy that you express appreciation for our nation and community by visiting this proud and holy place. God willing, the message and ideals expressed by Your Holiness, Pope Francis, will be put into practice by all of us and brought to fruition. May God, the Almighty, bless us all. Thank you.