A Chinese mosque in Jakarta is spreading the message of peace and tolerance in Indonesia. Founded in 1991 during President Suharto's era, Lautze mosque has become a symbol of harmony between the Chinese and Indonesian communities in the country. CGTN's Silkina Ahluwalia takes us inside the mosque in Jakarta.  

This mosque may look like any other. Tucked away in a corner of Jakarta's busy Chinatown is the three-story Lautze mosque. Chinese calligraphies hang alongside Arabic ones and verses of the Q'uran are framed all over its walls, some as old as 150 years old. This mosque holds a special story. It was established nearly three decades ago by the Haji Karim Oei Foundation, with the aim of promoting peaceful Islamic teachings to Chinese-Indonesians across the country.

ALI KARIM OEI CHAIRMAN, HAJI KARIM OEI "We are here to promote the image of peace and harmony. I have learned that for a lot of Chinese people, their perception of Islam can be quite negative. Our mosque is here to teach them that those negativities have nothing to do with Islamic teachings, it is purely the mistake of individuals and not the religion as a whole."

Ali Karim is the son of a prominent Chinese-Indonesian nationalist Abdul Karim Oei, who fought for Indonesia's independence alongside the country's founding father, Soekarno. Formerly a shop-house, Ali and his family turned this building into a mosque in 1991. Today, they're constructing a second mosque in Bandung, West Java, after realizing that the Chinese-Indonesian Muslim community is growing rapidly around that area.

SILKINA AHLUWALIA JAKARTA, INDONESIA "A lot of the inspirations that were taken into building this mosque comes from 19th century China. The mosque was built to introduce Islam to the Chinese community that lived in this area back then. Today, it still stands strong, promoting the message of moderate Islam to the public."

According to the foundation, in the past 20 years, more than one thousand people have converted to Islam at this mosque.

DR. DIN SYAMSUDDIN RELIGIOUS EXPERT "It is very important for the Indonesian government to protect and support the Chinese-Indonesian Muslim community here. The government has a responsibility to make sure that all religions can live side by side in peace in Indonesia. Chinese mosques can be found around the country, not just in Jakarta but in Surabaya and Semarang as well. That proves that Islam has existed in Indonesia for centuries."

The Lautze mosque has become a symbol of togetherness between China and Indonesia. One that blossomed thousands of years ago, showing a true celebration of culture, religion and tolerance. Silkina Ahluwalia, CGTN, Jakarta.