Its size and its location in the center of the capital have made Istiqlal Mosque the go-to place for Muslims in Jakarta.

The largest mosque in Southeast Asia, which sits on a 9.3-hectare plot of land and can accommodate more than 120,000 visitors, opens its seven gates for Muslims who want to perform their daily prayers or join annual festivities like Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) and Idul Fitri.

Last year, however, marked the first time Istiqlal entered the political fray, when it hosted thousands of members of conservative Muslim groups who staged protests in November and December to demand the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama for alleged blasphemy.

Analysts have said the rallies were staged to influence the results of the Jakarta gubernatorial election, as Ahok is running for a second term. Ahok is set to face off against former education minister Anies Baswedan in the second round of the election after getting 43 percent of the vote in the first round.

Despite the efforts of conservative groups to use the mosque to promote their causes, Istiqlal is a living monument for tolerance and diversity.

Built on what used to be the Dutch-era Wilhelmina Park and inaugurated on Feb. 22, 1978, by then-president Soeharto, the grand mosque was designed by architect Friedrich Silaban, the son of a priest from North Sumatra. His design was chosen from among the five best designs proposed at a competition held in 1955.

It was the country’s founding president, Sukarno, an architect by training, who proposed the construction of the mosque on that very site in a bid to promote pluralism.

“[Sukarno] had his reasons for proposing to build the mosque here. The cathedral had been built there long before,” Istiqlal Mosque spokesman Abu Hurairah said on Tuesday while pointing to an area in front of Istiqlal. “He therefore wanted Istiqlal Mosque to become a house of worship in the spirit of tolerance.”

Since Istiqlal was opened, the two houses of worship have developed a strong bond. On major Catholic holidays, Istiqlal Mosque opens its parking lot for members of the Catholic congregation, and vice versa.

To mark its 39th anniversary, Istiqal held a spring cleaning event last week, called Apel Jumat Bersih. Student climbers volunteered to clean both the exterior and interior of the massive structure. Many of the students who took part in the event were not Muslim.

“I have no problem cleaning [Istiqlal Mosque] at all. Besides, I had never been to Istiqlal, so I was pretty excited to volunteer to clean the mosque with other climbers during my break from campus,” said Ursula, 18, a climber from the Agrawitaka Climbing Club of Moestopo University, who is a Catholic.

Istiqlal will continue to welcome non-Muslims in the future.

“We love to welcome [non-Muslim foreign visitors] here, as this is a place for everyone, regardless of their faith. As long as they observe the ground rules, like taking off their shoes before entering the mosque, we don’t mind at all,” said Abu Hurairah. (lly)

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